Contact: Janet Foran, MDOT Office of Communications, 517-335-7176
Agency: Transportation

January 22, 2009 – - Michigan’s scenic roadside parks and turnouts are featured in the newest edition of the state transportation map, which is now available at Travel Michigan Welcome Centers and Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) offices.

The 2009 map features a unique variety of parks throughout the state, from the Huron Shores Roadside Park located near Cheboygan (featured on the cover), to the spectacular Cut River Bridge Roadside Park in the Upper Peninsula, to the peaceful tranquility of Bellamy Creek in Ionia County. There are more than 80 roadside parks in Michigan, and dozens more scenic turnouts.

“Michigan’s roadside parks are hidden treasures, just waiting to be discovered,” said State Transportation Director Kirk T. Steudle. “They are located mostly on rural state highways and are the perfect spots to relax, hike, take pictures, or enjoy one of the Great Lakes. We have a history in Michigan of preserving these park-like areas for travelers. In fact, the first roadside park in the nation was created by Herbert Larson in 1919 on US-2 near Iron River.”

To help find roadside parks, an online map is now available on the MDOT Web site at www.michigan.gov/roadsidepark. Scroll over a roadside park symbol, a solid green triangle, to get more details, including location, photos and special features of the park, such as artesian wells, walking trails, or historical markers.

Some parks have unique history lessons to tell. For instance, White Rock Roadside Park in Huron County is the site of boulders used as boundary markers to define the territory in the Treaty of Detroit in 1807, while a park outside Lansing teaches about the Grand River Trail, which began as a Native American trail and later became a plank road. For more information on Michigan’s Historical Marker program, go to www.michigan.gov/markers.

Department staff plans to add more photos and information to this special online feature, which is the first time roadside parks have been viewable on the Web.

Steudle said there are several important updates on the map, including a green car symbol to help motorists easily locate carpool lots, updated information about state parks, and the addition of the mastodon to the list of state symbols (Michigan’s state fossil since 2002). Also, the 14th, and newest, Welcome Center in Detroit was added.

A Web-based version of the map is available in PDF format. There are 26 city maps available online.

About 1.5 million maps will be produced this year, at a cost of 14 cents per copy. To view the online version of the map, get more details, report a suspected error, or request a free copy of the state transportation map, go to the MDOT Web site: www.michigan.gov/statemap.

A package of bills authorizing a privately-constructed 3.4-mile light rail line in
Detroit has been signed by Governor Jennifer Granholm. The bills allow some $100 million in contributions from philanthropists to be used for building the line along Woodward Avenue, connected sporting and cultural venues.

The system’s operating funds would come from government sources.

Lansing portion of system mostly done, but work remains

Winter has lowered an iron curtain over our running lives, and the economy around these parts is dismal. All things considered, life in early January can be quite depressing, so it’s good to have something positive to focus on.

Consider, for example, all of the great things that are happening with the trail system in the greater Lansing area. Sometime in the not too distant future, you will be able to head out for a long run on a continuous trail that extends all the way from Haslett to the outskirts of Holt.

That concept may seem like little more than a wistful dream for runners, walkers, bikers and rollerbladers who regularly use existing trails, but consider the fact that many of the pieces are already in place.

For years, walkways have skirted the Red Cedar River through the Michigan State campus. In addition, the Lansing River trail extends from just west of MSU through Potter Park and the downtown area to where it now ends in North Lansing. There is also a spur that runs into Moores Park.

This past summer, new sections of the Lansing River Trail were opened from Potter Park to Scott Woods, and from Cavanaugh Road to Jolly Road. With these sections complete, the Lansing portion of the trail system is mostly finished, though some expansion is included in long-term plans.

“My focus now is going to be on assisting Delhi Township in going south,” said Murdock Jemerson, the director of parks and recreation for the City of Lansing. “Another challenge will be paying for ongoing maintenance of the river trail.”

Jemerson said Lansing residents will be able to support trail maintenance by approving a park millage in August.

Meridian Township is also getting into the act.

“The township’s non-motorized pathway master plan includes a network of inter-connected trails that we are actively implementing,” said Younes Ishraidi, the township’s chief engineer. “A new section was completed last fall that extends from Burcham Road to Okemos Road.” This section connects with a trail to Central Park South and one that will eventually reach Marsh Road in Haslett. Ishraidi also notes that the Township is working with Ingham County on a connecting trail to the MSU campus.

In fact, the grand plan being promoted by Ingham county is a 23-mile Capital Connector Trail which, when completed, will link several major capital area parks including Ingham County’s Lake Lansing Park, Hawk Island Park, Burchfield Park, Potter Park and the Hope Soccer Complex.

Connecting the dots

Vic Randall, assistant manager for the Ingham County Parks Department, says the Lake Lansing component of the trail project will be completed in three phases. “Phase I is the segment from Lake Lansing Park South to Park Lake Road, which we are actively working on,” he said. “Phase II will complete the connection to MSU, with easement acquisition efforts currently underway. Phase III is the Lake Lansing Park North connection, which will be developed at a later time with routing to be worked out with project partners.”

The connection from MSU into Meridian Township will involve a surface crossing at Grand River Avenue where it intersects with Park Lake Road. The original plan was to follow the Canadian National Railroad under Grand River, but the right of way is too narrow to accommodate a trail along busy tracks beneath the overpass.

Randal said another priority for the county is to help develop a connection from the terminus of the Lansing River Trail at Jolly Road to a new section of trail from Willoughby Road to Holt Road that was recently completed in Delhi Township.

“It is the township’s goal to complete the construction of the Willoughby Road to Jolly Road section in 2009,” said Tracy Miller, director of the Community Development Department for Delhi Township.

“There is a very good preliminary route identified, and initial design feasibility work has been completed,” Miller said. “There are a couple of challenges which we believe to be resolvable at this time, but which will require some additional work and ingenuity.”

He listed the crossing required along the Sycamore Creek under I-96 as an example.

Although their system does not directly tie in to the Capital Connector Trail, East Lansing has also been active with the development of the North Tier Trail system that extends north from residential neighborhoods south of Lake Lansing road to State Road.

Future plans include an extension from where the Delhi Township trail ends at Holt Road to a soon to be completed section of the Hayhoe Trail at Howell Road north of Mason. Additionally, the City of Lansing may extend the Lansing River Trail spur from Moores Park to Grand River Park.

Everybody involved in area trail development stresses the importance of cooperation that has existed among the various players. Development efforts have been facilitated by the Heart of Michigan Trails Partnership, an organization comprised of trail planners and other representatives from Ingham, Eaton and Clinton counties as well as many area municipalities.

This local organization is a member of the Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance, a statewide organization that fosters the creation of an interconnected statewide system of trails and greenways for environmental and cultural preservation purposes.

“We are developing an exceptional regional trail system because of the effective partnership with stakeholders from state and local agencies, the business community and non-profit agencies,” Randall said.

Stacy Miller also touts the efforts of local officials.

“They recognize that it is these types of public amenities and improvements that help to ensure that a community is considered a good place to live and do business,” she said. “I believe that encouraging and developing opportunities for alternative transportation options, healthy activity and recreation are vital to ensuring the overall sustainability of our community.”

IONIA – Mass transit between Ionia and Lansing may still be off in the future, but local residents are pulling together to make the commute easier

“It makes life a lot easier, and cheaper,” said Rob Corbett, Ionia-Portland-Lansing vanpool primary driver.

Easton Township’s Corbett was driving 17 miles into Lowell to catch a van into Lansing Monday through Friday, until he thought about starting his own route in November. The van was delivered Dec. 4, and he is looking for more riders to join the commute.

The vanpool is run by MichiVan, a not-for-profit company with over 300 vans throughout the state. The company rents out vans and the primary driver is in charge of maintenance, like tire rotation and oil changes, storage, the schedule and keeping the books.

“It’s great; they show up, get in the van and go to work,” said Corbett, adding the ride into Lansing is pretty quiet while people try to get a few extra z’s, but it gets quite lively on the trip home.

For Corbett, it’s a great set up. Since he lives furthest out, he drives the van in for a 6:35 a.m. pick up at M-21 and M-66. They reach M-66 and I-96 at 6:45 a.m. Corbett said he currently has no riders wanting to be picked up there, but it can be arranged.

The final stop before Lansing is at 6:55 a.m. in Portland, with an arrival at 7:25 a.m. in downtown Lansing.

Corbett said stops are often consensus-based and riders can choose where the pick-up is located.

“The stops are flexible, the schedule not so much,” said Corbett, adding the van leaves Lansing at 4:35 p.m.

While the schedule is rigid, Corbett said the concept is not.

“People don’t like being strapped into something,” said Corbett.

Since the program is encouraged by the governor and the Michigan Department of Transportation, the state subsidizes two emergency rides home every six months.

Corbett used this option while his wife was pregnant.

“She said come home now, and I did,” said Corbett, adding he rented a car and passed along the van keys. There are four alternate drivers on the route.

The vanpool can also accommodate up to 15 riders. Currently, Corbett said he has seven, but is hoping to pick up more riders. With more riders, the cost per person is lower.

Riders are paying $128 a month, which includes maintenance and covered parking in Lansing, which is centrally located amongst state buildings. It also includes gas, which also makes the price fluctuate.

“This way, they get choice parking and don’t have to stand in the wind, rain or snow,” said Corbett.

According to MichiVan, the average commuter driving 30 minutes a day saves a minimum of $1,000 a year. Corbett said his group has found they are saving more. It also gets a few more drivers off the road during the rush hour.

While a majority of the riders are state workers, Corbett said the vanpool is open to anyone who can accommodate the schedule.

For more information or to reserve a seat, call Corbett at (517) 335-3263.

Contact: Bill Shreck, MDOT Director of Communications, 517-335-3084
Agency: Transportation

December 18, 2008- -When the Office of Great Workplace Development asked state employees to come up with eight innovative ideas for improving efficiency and customer service, teams from the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) came up with 11. That fact was not lost Tuesday, Dec. 16, when Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm and State Transportation Director Kirk T. Steudle recognized several teams of MDOT employees. Three innovations showcased for the governor’s appearance at the Murray D. Van Wagoner Transportation Building included: a department-wide “Green Initiative,” a Web-based “Cost to Commute” calculator, and the conversion of traffic signals and pedestrian signals on state roadways to Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) that are energy-efficient, environmentally friendly and save maintenance costs.

“MDOT employees have always been high achievers,” said Steudle, “evidenced by the fact that they submitted 11 innovations when only eight were called for. We are proud of the efficiency and level of commitment all MDOT employees demonstrate every day on behalf of the citizens of Michigan. In addition to improving efficiency, all of these great ideas are saving taxpayer dollars.”

The MDOT teams and their innovations included:

-Carpool Lot Program Partnership with Meijer Corporation and MDOT’s Bureau of Transportation Planning, Intermodal Policy;

-LED traffic and pedestrian signals at MDOT intersections on state highways, Bureau of Highway Delivery;

-Replacement of traffic signal incandescent light bulbs with LED lights, MDOT Bay Region;

-Box span wired displays for traffic signal installations (traffic signal location changes that promote driver safety and reduce red light running), Bureau of Highway Delivery;

-Cost to Commute Calculator that provides information about potential savings of sharing the ride. This team was a partnership of the MDOT Bureau of Passenger Transportation, Michigan Department of Information Technology and MDOT Office of Communications;

-Green Initiatives Team that identifies and coordinates efforts to reduce MDOT’s energy use and carbon footprint, Bureau of Finance and Administration, Department Services Division;

-Countdown Pedestrian Signals, Bureau of Highway Delivery;

-Installation of Centerline Rumble Strips on rural two and four-lane highways, Bureau of Highway Development and Bureau of Highway Delivery;

-Webcam Installations at the International Bridge in Sault Ste. Marie, MDOT Superior Region and the International Bridge Administration;

-Digital Media Channel for broadcasting Michigan travel-related information, weather updates and highway safety information at Welcome Centers, an MDOT partnership with Travel Michigan;

-Video Conferencing System improved with recycled salvage equipment, MDOT Superior Region.

In addition, state transportation employees were responsible for creating a “One Great” process improvement, which was a project for saving time and money related to traffic signal energy expense. This team was a partnership of the Bureau of Finance and Administration and Bureau of Highway Delivery. The project was led by the Financial Operation Division, with team members from many areas of the department.

MDOT says: Remember-Ice and Snow, Take It Slow!

The Department of Transportation sat before the House Transportation Committee explaining on Wednesday why it requires additional revenue to continue operations.

MDOT has testified before the Senate Transportation Committee as well (See Gongwer Michigan Report, December 3, 2008) and officials repeated their argument that if Michigan can’t match their federal transportation dollars, those funds would be sent to other states.

“We’ve gotten money Indiana, Ohio, and Oklahoma couldn’t (match),” Kirk Steudle, director of MDOT said. “In 2009, we won’t have that, and our money will go to other states.”

Mike Nystrom, vice president of government and public relations at Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation, offered solutions for raising revenues, such as a 50 percent increase in vehicle registration fees, re-pealing the gas tax and replacing it with a wholesale gas tax, and allowing plate transfers to happen the day of the purchase. He also suggested several reforms, such as eliminating a Secretary of State interdepartmental grant, which would be replaced with a wholesale collection fee.

Mr. Nystrom said the increase in fees an average motorist would see would equal approximately $12 a month.

“That is immediate money that would have significant impact on stuff now,” Mr. Nystrom said. “We have been talking about this for three years… this plan is a stimulus to create new jobs. We’d be looking at losing hundreds of millions in the future, and that is a conservative estimate.”

Most of the questions lawmakers posed to transportation officials related to how much money could be raised if certain legislative actions were taken.

By Bill Shea

Any local subsidy for a proposed $10.5 billion three-country mass transportation system will require a public referendum to move forward.

That caveat was part of a resolution unanimously approved by the elected political leaders of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties, and the city of Detroit, on Monday afternoon.

The vote allows transit czar John Hertel to move ahead with the proposal to establish a network of specialized bus and rail lines in the region, along with enhancements to existing service, over the next 25 years.

If every aspect of the proposal is built between 2009 and 2035, the estimated capital costs are $10.5 billion, most of which would be earmarked for corridor development, and an annual base system operating cost of $293 million.

Backers have been quick to caution that only elements of the system would be deployed if ridership justified the expense. Funding proposals include federal, state and local funds, including private funding and dedicated local transportation taxes, for construction and operation.

Hertel said the next step for the project is to study the governance systems of mass transit systems in other U.S. cities, including Denver, Portland and Chicago, to see what would work best for metro Detroit.

He’s also talking to members of Congress to ascertain the potential funding for the system, and he plans to approach the Obama administration.

“What’s really timely is that President-elect Obama said infrastructure is going to be one of his first priorities,” he said.

Hertel, who noted there have been 23 prior attempts over 50 years to establish regional mass transit, said he will report his findings to the political executives on June 30 but could have some idea on federal funding initiatives in the next few months.

Detroit Mayor Ken Cockrel Jr., Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano, Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson and Macomb County Board Chairman William Crouchman, collectively known as the “Big 4” and Hertel’s bosses, lauded him for his 26-month effort to assemble the plan.

The transit plan, which has no price tag yet, calls for interconnected bus and rail routes, with current and future infrastructure, all introduced based on ridership levels and funding.

“It’s a conservative first step,” Ficano said. “It’s time we should do some urgent things in the region.”

The transit plan got Patterson’s vote because the resolution requires a regional authority to run the system (established by the Legislature) and a public vote on any local subsidy — what he considers necessary safeguards.

Cockrel, who attended the Big 4’s fourth meeting for the first time since replacing Kwame Kilpatrick, said he likes the plan because it allows for flexibility.

“I am very confident of where we’re at, at this point,” he said.

Forming the basis of the plan is a $400,000 regional transit study by Kansas City-based transportation consulting firm TranSystems Corp.

The initial new construction aspect of the plan is expected to revolve around a Woodward Avenue light-rail line, which would feed into other proposed rail and bus routes, including a Detroit-Ann Arbor line in the works by the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments regional planning agency.

A pair of competing plans for a light-rail loop on Detroit’s Woodward Avenue, one public and one private, are expected to be merged early next year.

The $103 million privately funded plan for Woodward is listed in Hertel’s final report to the Big 4 as being one of the key aspects of the regional plan.

The route, known as The Regional Area Initial Link, would be a 3.4-mile curbside light-rail line in the Woodward corridor from Hart Plaza to Grand Boulevard in New Center, running past major business, cultural, medical, educational and sporting destinations.

Its backers include Peter Karmanos Jr., founder of Detroit-based software maker Compuware Corp.; Mike Ilitch, owner of the Detroit Tigers and Detroit Red Wings and co-founder of Little Caesars Pizza; Penske Corp. Chairman Roger Penske; and Quicken Loans/Rock Financial founder Dan Gilbert.

The other proposed Woodward rail line is the $371.5 million Detroit Department of Transportation’s “Detroit Transit Options for Growth” study, which calls for an eight-mile light-rail loop from downtown to the Michigan State Fairgrounds and would be paid for by the Federal Transit Administration New Starts program as well as state and local money.

The private plan has about two-thirds of the needed funding committed, and the nonprofit company approved by the Legislature recently to operate the route would merge into the regional system’s governing body once it was set up, Hertel said.

The commuter rail aspect of the regional plan includes eventual service to Washtenaw, Monroe and St. Clair counties, and that would tie into a Woodward and Ann Arbor-Detroit line.

Mass transit in general has been the focal point of major economic revitalization plans for the region.

Hertel’s report states that every dollar spent on transit results in an additional $4 to $8 in new economic development in the corridors neighboring the system.

The three-county plan is the product of the Regional Transportation Coordinating Council’s Detroit Regional Mass Transit effort. Hertel’s job as CEO of the council was to develop the plan and drum up regional consensus for it.

Monday’s vote took place at the Detroit offices of law firm Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone P.L.C.

BY MATT HELMS • FREE PRESS DRIVING COLUMNIST • December 4, 2008

A stretch of Telegraph Road in Oakland County will be part of ongoing research of new technologies that proponents say ultimately will help improve traffic flow, prevent crashes and lead to economic growth in Michigan.
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The Michigan Department of Transportation said it’s working with Detroit’s automakers, suppliers and other firms to research the use of wireless and other technologies on roadways so that computers might alert drivers about road hazards ahead, avert collisions and ease congestion, thereby reducing wasted fuel.

MDOT said it wants to encourage “connected vehicle technology” testing locally to keep the Detroit carmakers and other Michigan-based companies ahead in the emerging realm of using technology to manage congestion and improve safety.

The state will put up about 30 wireless devices along Telegraph between 8 Mile and 14 Mile roads and work with a number of companies to test real-world applications of the technology, said Greg Krueger, MDOT’s intelligent transportation systems program manager. Drivers may notice antennas mounted on traffic poles but not much else, he said.

MDOT will spend between $200,000 and $400,000 on the equipment. The goal is to make Michigan a leader in new vehicle technologies that could lead to economic growth and more jobs, Krueger said. Such technologies are thought to be a less expensive way to manage traffic congestion than expanding roads that are costly to build and maintain.

“We feel very strongly that this is the future,” Krueger said.

The technology also is being deployed at the Michigan International Speedway near Jackson for additional testing.

Contact MATT HELMS at driving@freepress.com.

By JOHN PEPIN, Journal Munising Bureau

MARQUETTE – Michigan Department of Transportation Director Kirk Steudle expects about half a billion dollars could come to the state for transportation infrastructure improvements as part of a new Obama administration economic stimulus package.

Steudle said Monday he’d been in Washington, D.C., within the past two weeks, meeting with two senators and three congressional staffers “to talk about the stimulus package and what could it contain.”

State transportation officials have detailed numerous Michigan projects for potential federal funding, ranging from road and bridge repairs to airport, transit and safety projects.

“We’ve generated a list of about $1.5 billion dollars worth of projects that could be ready to go, that we could put on the street, as soon as they said, ‘Go,’” Steudle said.

Steudle said requirements keep changing and the state has created several versions of its federal funding project list so far.

“In essence, it’s projects that we can have in contracts within 120 days and at the maximum 180 days,” Steudle said. “So within six months have them in contracts.”

A key provision being sought by Michigan and other states is not having to provide a state match to the federal stimulus dollars provided.

“This has to come as 100 percent federal money, no state money,” Steudle said.

Without that provision, states would be taking matching funds from other projects, defeating the intended stimulus.

“All it’s going to do is exacerbate our problem,” Steudle said. “So what we’ve said is this has to come in as 100 percent federal money and then make it as flexible as possible and then we can put people back to work and we can put this stuff on the street.”

Steudle said the construction work would take place next summer and create thousands of jobs. He anticipates a nationwide funding formula would hopefully give Michigan about $500 million of the suggested $18 billion infrastructure funding package.

Michigan is facing a road funding crisis with rising costs and stalled revenues, stifling upkeep of the state’s roads and bridges, Steudle said. This week, state legislators are in committee hearings to work on ideas to improve the situation. For the first time, Michigan is expected to lose federal funding money in fiscal year 2010 because, under the current circumstances, there will be no money available for required state matching funds.

Without the state match, those federal dollars for road projects will go to other states, Steudle said. Legislators in Lansing are hoping to remedy the problem before their current session adjourns.

If that doesn’t happen, Steudle said lawmakers will likely take the issue up as a high-priority in the new legislative session next year.

Steudle said he believes lawmakers are giving more credence to the current efforts to increase transportation funding than they have in the past, especially given the potential loss of federal funds and the work over recent months of a bi-partisan task force.

“I think this one is being treated much more serious because it wasn’t just an individual group saying, ‘Raise the gas tax, raise the gas tax,’ ” Steudle said. “It was a bipartisan task force that was created to specifically look at this. So it’s got a lot more credibility behind it.”

Transportation committees meeting this year recommended Michigan spend $6 billion annually on roads and bridges to keep pace with costs, inflation and deteriorating infrastructure, according to recent reports from the committees.

Michigan now spends about $3 billion each year. For decades, the state has not prioritized road funding and has fallen to near the bottom of the list for investment in its transportation system.

Overall, the state hearings this week are working on a range of ideas focused on trying to “stop the bleeding,” Steudle said.

The Asphalt Pavement Alliance (APA) recently honored the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) with its Perpetual Pavement Award for a 5.2-mile section of M-24 that runs from the north village limits of Mayville, MI to M-46. The project was one of 11 projects across the United States that was honored for 2007.

The award is given to owners of asphalt pavements that are at least 35 years old and have never had a structural failure. The average interval between resurfacing of each awarded pavement must be no less than 13 years. The road must demonstrate the qualities expected from long-life asphalt pavements: excellence in design, quality in construction and value to the traveling public.

Engineers at the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) evaluated the nominations for the Perpetual Pavement Award and a panel of industry experts validated the recipients.

“Even though each of these pavements has been punished by more than 35 years of heavy use, motorists are still using the original pavement structures. The only maintenance that has been done has been periodic replacement of the surface,” said Mike O’Leary, APA co-chairman. “The extraordinary performance of these pavements is worthy of attention.”

“Perpetual pavement is an industry standard that is extremely well represented by these award recipients,” added Gaylen Ghylin, APA co-chairman. “Long life, durability and exceptional performance are hallmarks of hot mix asphalt. These pavements are testimonials to high-performance asphalt as a marriage of excellent design and quality construction.”

Each recipient receives an engraved crystal obelisk and a plaque, and has its name added to a permanent plaque that is kept at the NCAT Research Center. Presentations were made on November 12 at a special ceremony during the International Conference on Warm Mix Asphalt in Nashville, TN.