Climate change, bad infrastructure drives away Michigan residents, report says

by Fix MI State | Sep 15, 2023 | Roads & Bridges

Climate change and poor infrastructure are helping drive Michigan residents to Southern states, according to a report by the Citizens Research Council of Michigan, a public affairs research organization. Census data shows that nearly 15,000 Michigan residents — mostly...

Michigan pothole claims system is a mess: Four easy fixes (and a costly one)

by Fix MI State | Sep 8, 2023 | Roads & Bridges

This article originally appeared in Bridge Michigan. Read more here.  Michigan drivers are all too familiar with the extra costs of driving on crumbling roads, shelling out on average hundreds of dollars per year for pothole-related repairs. Under limited...

Rise in ‘preventable’ traffic crashes leading to spike in serious injuries

by Fix MI State | Aug 25, 2023 | Work Zone Safety

Traffic injuries are up in the state of Michigan this year and there’s no secret why – speed, distracted driving, traveling too close. “You don’t have to be a trooper, or a police officer to drive around Metro Detroit and probably on your trip...

New budget puts $5M toward mile-tracking study to make up for EV revenue loss

by Natalie Kozma | Aug 18, 2023 | Roads & Bridges

This article originally appeared in WWMT. For more, click here.  $5 million in Michigan’s new state budget, signed into law by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in late July, will go toward a study intended to gauge public interest in putting mile-tracking devices in...

Michigan eyes miles-traveled charge for roads as EVs cut into fuel tax

by Fix MI State | Aug 10, 2023 | Roads & Bridges

Michigan officials are exploring whether to replace gas taxes with “usage charges” as the auto industry’s shift to electric vehicles is expected to cut into tax revenues for road repairs. With fuel taxes projected to decline by hundreds of millions of dollars in...

Michigan House OKs plan to automatically detect, ticket drivers speeding in construction zones

by Fix MI State | Jul 14, 2023 | Work Zone Safety

The Michigan House of Representatives passed legislation that would allow “automated speed enforcement systems” to be set up in certain work zones to automatically detect and punish speeding drivers. Introduced in February, House bills 4132 and 4133 would amend...

Pathogens are in beaches across Michigan

by Fix MI State | Jul 12, 2023 | Michigan beaches, Drinking Water & Recreational Waters

Dangerous bacteria has been detected in different beaches all over the state. A report by the Environment America Research & Policy Center found many Michigan beaches are closing due to the recent discovery of mass amounts of bacteria in the water. The bacteria is...

Michigan House OKs automated speeding tickets in construction zones

by Fix MI State | Jun 29, 2023 | Work Zone Safety

Michigan residents could soon receive highway speeding tickets without ever being pulled over by a police officer. Bipartisan bills to legalize the automated issuance of speeding tickets in construction zones received approval Thursday in the state House. The bills...

Michigan had more crashes but less drunk, drugged and distracted driving in 2022

by Fix MI State | Jun 29, 2023 | Work Zone Safety

Michigan had 293,341 traffic crashes in 2022, which resulted in the death of 1,123 individuals. Last year’s crash total marked a 4% increase from 2021, though it was an improvement from the years leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic that impacted travel patterns in...

National Work Zone Memorial returning to Clare Welcome Center during July 4 holiday

by Fix MI State | Jun 29, 2023 | Work Zone Safety

For the second year in a row, the Michigan Department of Transportation’s (MDOT) Clare Welcome Center will host the National Work Zone Memorial over the Fourth of July holiday weekend. This special memorial honors the more than 1,600 lives of road workers,...