MDOT's 5 Year [Not A] Transportation Plan

The Draft 2024-2028 Five-Year Transportation Plan (5YTP) is available and the public comment period open until September 8th.

Don't forget when looking at this plan and the specified projects that the Michigan DOT's focus is:

• "Equity & Inclusion"
• "Transportation Resilience"
• "Complete Streets/Multimodal"

So what are the projects in the dock for Grand Rapids?

• US-131: I-96 to Post Drive: Active Traffic Management
• I-296 WB/US-131 SB Over Ann St: Patching & Railing replacement
• I-296/US-131 NB: Road Rehabilitiation
• US-131 SB Over 6th St: Patching
• US-131 M-11 (28th Street) to Pearl Street: Road Capital Preventive Maintenance
• US-131 Wealthy Street north to Pearl Street: Operation Improvements
• Martin Luther King Jr. St Over US-131 & CSX RR: Bridge Replacement
• M-11: Road Rehabilitation
• I-96 over Bristol Road: Deck patching

There you go. Not a single multi-modal or surface transportation project, and so clearly dripping with concern about "Equity & Inclusion". It is business-as-usual: highways & asphalt. No regard for air or sound pollution. No regard for their impact on the economic development. But there are pictures of buses and trains all over their documents! 🙄

You can see the five year project map for yourself at MDOT's Arcgis portal A 26 page PDF is also available

Comments can be made either 👉on the form👈 or via e-mail to MDOT-Five-Year-Program@Michigan.gov.

Where is all the money going? Roads.

Where does the not-asphalt sliver of funding go?

Personally I had hoped a Democratic Trifecta would have some impact, even given Governor Whitmer's obsequious devotion to Big Auto.

I'll close with this graphic which illustrates a poll taken as part of drafting Michigan's 2045 "Mobility" plan; one one hand are the priorities of the citizens of this state, on the other hand are the bureaucrats - and let's be honest: the industry lackeys - employed by the Michigan Department of Transportation.

Go to the comments, give them hell.