Wishes for 2016

After years of waiting for meaningful action, 2015 turned out to be a busy year in the transportation business. Several important issues, including both additional state and federal funding, were addressed. Many of us wanted more, but the issue of funding has been dealt with by the state legislature and U.S. Congress for the next few years. Now what? What will 2016 bring? Here are my wishes for this New Year.

1. Improved traffic safety

Statistics indicate that Michigan took a giant step backwards in 2015. More people lost their lives on Michigan’s roads in 2015 than in 2014, by a lot! As of this writing, 953 people died on our roads in 2015, and thousands more were severely injured. This is simply not acceptable! Efforts must be increased and targeted to make significant strides to reverse the direction of these numbers, which have been climbing over the past several years. In December, SEMCOG’s Executive Committee supported a safety plan that calls for targeted investment of safety funds along with targeted enforcement and education to try to make roads safer.

2. Completed M-1 Rail

The M-1 Rail, soon to be renamed, is a transformative project. It says to people, “Yes we can build a transit project in Detroit.” Construction should be completed by the end of 2016 and testing begun. Service is to begin in 2017. As important as this project is, it cannot reach its full potential as a standalone project.

3. Successful transit referendum

That is why approving additional transit funding in November is critical to the future of public transportation in Southeast Michigan. The Regional Transit Authority (RTA) will release their plan in early 2016 and work, with the help of SEMCOG and many others, to explain the benefits of funding it. Without additional funding, you will not be seeing any significant transit improvements in the region.

4. Continued construction of Gordie Howe International Bridge

Construction activities associated with the Gordie Howe International Bridge will hopefully continue. A construction team will be selected, property purchased, and designs completed in order to begin construction in 2017. There is no more important economic development project for the region or the state than this new international bridge crossing project.

5. Successful construction season

Remember that the significant increase in dollars does not start until 2017. Hopefully, a mild winter will allow cities and road agencies to make up some ground on our rapidly deteriorating road system. Later in the year, we will hopefully see minimum impact to drivers and businesses alike thanks to smooth reconstruction of I-275 and M-14.

These projects will go a long way in determining the future of transportation in Southeast Michigan for years to come. We’ll follow their progress throughout the year and report on them regularly. I am hoping for a productive year as we work together to address these and other needs of Southeast Michigan.