With more money available last year, the Michigan Department of Transportation started looking at ways to help locals navigate the state.
In 1995, MDOT implemented a long-term state transportation blueprint that included busing, airports, roadways and train infrastructure planning. Additional money is now available through the Build Michigan II and Build Michigan III programs, so MDOT has been holding community meetings throughout the state to reopen the dialogue on transportation. Build Michigan II and Build Michigan III are state programs that work to organize infrastructure.
“I’m going out and taking the information I’ve been working on and presenting it to the public to get feedback,” said Marsha Small, a federal liaison for Michigan’s Bureau of Transportation Planning.
More than 12 town hall-style meetings occurred throughout the state, including Lansing, and the next one is today in Adrian. The final meetings will take place in the next two months and a report will be released disclosing the findings. Then, the state will decide on a plan for improving state transportation.
“We are talking about basic mobility and what does that look like for citizens in the state,” she said.
Small said the department is seeking ways to coordinate existing transportation programs to reach larger areas. This would include local transit agencies joining with nearby religious and human service groups to service more people.
“If they work closer together and look at service area, and they might be able to cover a greater area without increasing costs,” she said.
Paul Hamilton, chief transportation planner of Tri-County Regional Planning, which includes Lansing, said more than 400 residents participated in four summer town hall meetings in the area in recent months.
Hamilton said information gathered at those meetings is still being compiled and will be released in upcoming weeks.
“It is going to allow us to go back and look at some things,” said Ann Clery, an MDOT spokeswoman. “We are sitting down with folks in the community to see if the state’s long-range plan is still appropriate.”
Clery said participants have discussed improvements to roadways, airport improvements and non motorized transportation such as bike paths.
