The following is a message from the MITA:
The Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association applauded Gov. Granholm’s announcement today of an effort to repair the state’s deteriorating roads and bridges.
“We are encouraged by Gov. Granholm’s leadership,” said Mike Nystrom, vice president of government and public relations for the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association (MITA), “and we are delighted that this issue has finally risen to the point of being a priority for Michigan’s citizens.”
Now that the snow has melted, Michigan motorists are seeing what’s left of their decaying pavement, Nystrom said, and this will be one of the worst pothole seasons on record.
In an Associated Press article today the governor said she supports changing the state gasoline tax to raise more money as gas prices rise and drivers conserve gas. Granholm said the state’s current 19-cent-per-gallon tax doesn’t raise enough money to repair Michigan’s roads.
The Transportation Funding Task Force, appointed by the governor and legislature last year, suggested converting the per-gallon tax to a tax on the wholesale price of gas and raising vehicle registration fees. Granholm said she supports both. The task force also calculated Michigan’s actual transportation funding needs to be about $3 billion per year in order to maintain existing pavement conditions and provide basic system improvements.
