Michigan needs between two and four billion dollars to fix its roads, according to a new report from the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association, a construction trades group.
According to our sister station WILX, the group is laying out its plan for possible funding options.
The first would be a gas tax increase of up to $0.74 cents a gallon. The second would be shifting and transitioning to increasing fuel taxes from per gallon to per dollar, which would increase tax revenues during periods of high gas prices. The third increasing the sales tax, with the hike dedicated to transportation funding. The fourth would be generating revenue based on miles traveled on state roads.
“I had a broken rim last year on my truck, and I think we can expect more of that,” said Rob Coppersmith, with the association. “I think a broken rim or flat tire is the least of our worries. We’re worried about crashes that occur, it’s definitely a safety issue. As we go forward, all sorts of things come into play there.”
The counties maintain 75% of the roads across Michigan, but only 25% of the federal money to fix those roads.
The rest goes to MDOT to repair highways and state roads.
This article originally appeared in WNDU. For more, click here.