Talking Michigan Transportation

Paul McDonald, MDOT Chief Administrative Officer and former EGLE senior official, discusses his new role and leading a legislatively mandated Road User Charge study and pilot. He explains his CAO portfolio, the RFP and review timeline, the Technical Advisory Committee’s advisory role, and pilot design choices like size, data collection, and legislative involvement.

Michael Shaw, Michigan State Police First Lieutenant who explains crash causes and road enforcement. Bruce Smith, National Weather Service meteorologist who explains warnings and lake-effect snow behavior. They discuss how small crashes escalate, why driving to conditions matters, limits of road treatment, the role of warnings, and local variability from snow bands.

Zach Rable, a federal affairs specialist at the Michigan Department of Transportation, shares insights on federal surface transportation reauthorization. He emphasizes the importance of stable funding for planning and Michigan's engagement in infrastructure priorities. The discussion covers the scope of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, future bill expectations, and key MDOT priorities like formula funding and reducing program complexity. Zach also highlights potential benefits of NEPA assignment and explores prospects for bipartisan support and new revenue sources.

Peter Anastor, the Director of the Michigan Department of Transportation Office of Rail, discusses the exciting plans for a new multimodal hub at Michigan Central. He shares insights on linking Michigan's rail service with Canadian connections and the anticipated expansion of service to Toronto. Anastor highlights the complexities and challenges involved, including customs coordination with Canada and the timeline for development, aiming for international service by 2029. He also addresses community concerns and future updates on the project.

On this week’s Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, a conversation about key road, bridge and rail projects completed across the state.Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) Director Bradley C. Wieferich joined the conversation to talk about details of projects highlighted in MDOT's year-end video. Many were made possible by Gov. Whitmer’s Rebuilding Michigan program while others received help from lawmakers working in bipartisan fashion to improve travel in their communities. From the western Upper Peninsula to Kalamazoo in the southwest part of the state and Oakland County in the southeast, MDOT officials oversaw work that will improve safety, reduce congestion and make commuting and the delivery of goods more efficient.

Laura Mester, who has served as the chief administrative officer at the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) since 2011, is retiring from state government in January. She joined the podcast to reflect on her career in state government, including the past 15 years at MDOT. Mester talks about her perceptions of the department before she joined, and what she learned about the need for a multimodal focus to serve all users. She also discusses the challenges facing the department with decades of inadequate funding to do all the things the public expects. In her role, she oversaw the Bureau of Finance and the Office of Passenger Transportation, which (among other things) oversees and supports the state’s transit agencies, including the Office of Rail.

On this week’s edition of the Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, a conversation about a new study that confirms that flashing LED lights, used strategically, can improve safety on curves.The study is part of a larger project looking for effective speed warning technologies, said Timothy Gates, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Michigan State University, who talked about the findings on the podcast. The research is funded by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT).The state tallied 128,517 crashes on curved roadways during winter weather conditions between 2018 and 2022, causing 175 serious injuries and fatalities, plus 1,360 less serious and suspected injuries, the study said. The study concluded that curves on flat roads (called horizontal curves by highway engineers) "present a major challenge to drivers, especially when there is a significant difference between the posted speed limit and the curve advisory speed."

In the second installment of podcasts focusing on significant road and bridge project completions by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), conversations about a new roundabout on busy routes near Traverse City and a new bridge over I-96 in Walker.First, Jeff Shaw, supervisor of Elmwood Township in Leelanau County, talks about what the roundabout means for traffic flow in the area, safety benefits and the connections for pedestrians and cyclists.“Now we're able to take a look at the corridor and the improvements that have been made and know how much of a benefit this is going to be for the people that motor through here, that bike through here, that walk through here," said State Transportation Director Bradley C. Wieferich at a celebration event on Oct. 31.Former U.S. Department of Transportation Sec. Pete Buttigieg, a Traverse City resident, also attended the celebration.“I know folks grumble about roundabouts, but a well-placed roundabout can reduce injury crashes by 80 percent or more," Buttigieg said of the new M-72/M-22 intersection, a centerpiece of the project. "I want to commend MDOT, the contractors and, above all, the workers who, in partnership with this community, made sure this was a success."At another celebration in October, City of Walker officials joined MDOT engineers and lawmakers to celebrate completion of a $30 million Fruit Ridge Avenue bridge over I-96.The investment replaced the original bridge and interchange from 1961. Contractors widened the new bridge from two lanes to five and included non-motorized paths, linking heavily used trails on each side.Art Green, manager of MDOT’s Grand Rapids Transportation Service Center (TSC), joined the podcast to talk about the long-time needs for the improved bridge and interchange, how the funding came about and improvements already showing up in traffic flow."Projects like this don't happen overnight," said City of Walker Mayor Gary Carey at the event. "They take vision, persistence, partnership, and a shared belief that our infrastructure is worth investing in."

On this week’s Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, conversations about celebrations of major road and bridge projects completed by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) in communities across the state.This week, a focus on the expansion of the U.S. 131 interchange with the U.S. 131 Business Route that links the freeway with downtown Kalamazoo. Jill Bland, executive vice president at Southwest Michigan First, talks about her decades of advocacy for the project and what it will mean to businesses her organization supports, as well as commuters.Later, Trevor Block, manager of  MDOT’s Transportation Service Center (TSC) in Davison, talks about a celebration of another phase of rebuilding a segment of the I-475 corridor in Flint. This phase rebuilt approximately three miles of I-475 from the Flint River to Carpenter Road as part of a $141 million investment.Next week, the focus on project completions with conversations about a new bridge carrying Fruit Ridge Avenue over I-96 west of Grand Rapids and a roundabout replacing the traditional intersection of M-72 and M-22 just outside Traverse City.

David Bulkowski, Executive Director of Disability Advocates of Kent County and dedicated public transit advocate, discusses the game-changing Fiscal Year 2026 budget, marking the largest increase in public transit funding in Michigan's history. He emphasizes the critical role transportation plays in ensuring access for individuals with disabilities, connecting essential services like housing and healthcare. Bulkowski also highlights local initiatives improving non-motorized infrastructure and shares influential stories that help lawmakers understand the importance of transit in fostering community inclusion.