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Gov.
Snyder
visits
crumbling
hi-way
in
Detroit,
offers
plan on
a fix
DETROIT,
MI (Tell
Us Det)
- Gov.
Rick
Snyder
got an
up-close
experience
of the
state's
aging
and
crumbling
hi-ways
during a
Monday
morning
rush
hour
visit to
Detroit.
I've
been
bounced
around
pretty
good,"
Snyder
said
this
morning
during a
press
briefing
on the
Lodge
Freeway
near
Meyers
and
McNichols
Rd. He
was
shown a
retaining
wall
which is
at risk
of
collapse
and is
in need
of $1.5
million
in
repairs.
Snyder
is
stepping
up
pressure
on
lawmakers
to boost
Michigan's
fuel
taxes to
raise
$1.4
billion
to
improve
roads
and
bridges.
Snyder
says if
legislators
don't
act
during
nine
remaining
voting
days
this
year,
the
roads
will
just
"get
worse."
The
Republican
governor
met with
political
and
business
leaders
in
Southfield
Monday
to
discuss
road
funding
after
touring
deteriorating
bridges
in
Detroit
along
the
Lodge
Freeway.
The
visit
was
ahead of
a
roundtable
discussion
the
governor
and
Michigan
Department
of
Transportation
Director
Kirk
Steudle
are
attending
in
Southfield
later in
the day.
The
discussion
will
focus on
the need
to
implement
a
comprehensive
plan to
fix
Michigan's
crumbling
infrastructure.
Michigan
hasn’t
updated
its
overall
investment
in roads
since
the gas
tax –
which
currently
is the
primary
source
of
revenue
– was
adjusted
in 1997.
Basic
elements
of the
governor’s
plan
that
recently
was
approved
by the
state
Senate
include:
•
Eliminating
the
current
19 cents
per
gallon
gasoline
tax and
15 cents
per
gallon
diesel
tax at
the pump
and
instead
charge a
tax on
gasoline
wholesalers.
•
Increasing
the
wholesale
tax by 2
percent
each
year for
three
years,
occurring
every
Jan. 1.
•
Doubling
fines
for
violations
of truck
weight
limits
and
dedicating
half of
that
revenue
to the
state
trunk
line
fund.
•
The plan
will
result
in
county
road
commissions,
cities
and
villages
seeing
an
average
fund
increase
of 73
percent
by 2018.
The
lame-duck
Legislature
will be
taking
on the
road
funding
issue
this
week.
The
governor
has
offered
a fair,
comprehensive
plan
that
will
raise
the
necessary
$1.2
billion
annually
for
local
and
state
infrastructure
repairs.
About 60
percent
of the
revenue
will go
to
counties,
cities
and
villages
for
their
roads
and
bridges.
He
reviewed
the
initiative
with
roundtable
participants
at
Lawrence
Technological
University
after
inspecting
aging,
deteriorating
infrastructure
along
M-10/Lodge
Freeway
between
McNichols
and
Meyers
roads.
“The
message
from
every
corner
of our
state is
clear,”
Snyder
said.
“It’s
time to
fix the
roads.
Michiganders
are
tired of
dodging
potholes,
whether
it’s on
the
highway
or in
their
neighborhoods.
They’re
fed up
with
getting
socked
with
auto
repair
bills
because
Lansing
has
ignored
the
problem
for too
long.
Crumbling
roads
and
bridges
have a
significant
impact
on the
state.
An
estimated
100
lives
can be
saved
each
year if
Michigan
improves
its
infrastructure,
according
to a
2012
analysis
by The
Road
Information
Program
(TRIP).
In
addition,
one in
nine
bridges
across
Michigan
is rated
as
“structurally
deficient,”
which
means
their
conditions
show
deterioration.
Family
budgets
take a
big hit
as well,
with
poor
roads
causing
an
average
of $539
in
additional
annual
vehicle
operating
costs
due to
repairs,
tire
wear and
increased
fuel
consumption,
TRIP
reports.
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