MITA reacts to Gov. Whitmer’s 2023-2024 budget recommendation
LANSING, Mich. – Rob Coppersmith, executive vice president of the Michigan Infrastructure & Transportation Association (MITA), issued the following statement following Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s 2023-2024 fiscal year budget recommendation:
“Gov. Whitmer’s budget recommendation continues to show that her administration is an advocate for fixing Michigan’s roads. The funding increase for the next fiscal year shows a continued commitment to improving our roads, bridges, and overall infrastructure system.
“While the governor’s plan helps move us in the right direction, we still have a vast need to fix the many thousands of lane miles of Michigan roads that remain in poor condition. The only way that we can ensure our infrastructure system will be rated in good condition is to enact an equitable, long-term, sustainable infrastructure investment plan that commits the state to investing in our infrastructure over the long-term, instead of dealing with the situation as crises present themselves.
“As vehicles modernize and electric vehicles become more popular, it’s time we rethink the way we pay for our roads, as the 20th century funding model is not able to keep our roads in good or safe condition. We appreciate the governor’s willingness to address the problem that plagues our infrastructure network, but we need Michigan’s leaders to finally come together to develop an equitable, long-term, sustainable infrastructure plan that fixes Michigan’s roads for generations to come.”
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The Michigan Infrastructure & Transportation Association is a statewide trade association that represents a broad spectrum of heavy construction companies and suppliers that help build a better Michigan from the ground up. For more information, visit thinkmita.org.