Talking Michigan Transportation

On this week’s Talking Michigan Transportation, a conversation with Suzanne Schulz, the former director of planning for the City of Grand Rapids, who helped with some groundbreaking initiatives related to Complete Streets, accommodating multimodal users and breaking down barriers to access. She was also instrumental in helping to implement a statewide Complete Streets policy. She’s now urban planning practice leader at Progressive AE in Grand Rapids. Schulz talks about implementation of road diets and other Complete Streets initiatives since legislation was adopted in 2010. As more cities around the world incorporate protected bike lanes into their Complete Streets planning, is it something we can expect in Michigan? Studies show they enhance safety. She also talks about the imperative for community leaders to collaborate with business owners, residents, state departments of transportation officials, and others on planning for future transportation needs. Also discussed: inclusion of more passive storm water treatments into street design. Things like bioswales and rain gardens can significantly improve the quality of water making its way into storm water systems. Along those lines, Schulz recalls her work with the City of Grand Rapids establishing a Vital Streets framework that incorporated Complete Streets and green infrastructure. 

On this week’s edition of the Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, conversations with senior Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) project manager Jonathan Loree and Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist about some key MDOT projects aimed at enhancing connections for travelers in the city of Detroit. The U.S. Department of Transportation announced on Nov. 22 $1 billion in Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grants, including a grant for the long-planned intermodal facility in the New Center area of Detroit. This would allow for development of new passenger rail and intercity bus facilities in Detroit to accommodate growing ridership projections. The news comes as MDOT continues work on some other key connectivity initiatives in Detroit: ·         A conversion of the I-375 freeway to an urban boulevard with safe access for pedestrians and cyclists; and·         A study to transform Michigan Avenue from I-96 through the historic Corktown neighborhood to Campus Martius Park downtown and allow safer access for other users as well as economic development. Loree explains the projects and his work with City of Detroit officials, business owners and residents.In a second segment, Lt. Gov. Gilchrist talks about growing up in Detroit and how rethinking transportation is aiding Detroit’s comeback. As discussed on a previous podcast, he talks about the social and environmental justice components of the I-375 project and how the same principles apply to developing the intermodal facility and rethinking Michigan Avenue.

On this week’s Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, a conversation with a regular guest, Lloyd Brown. Now working for the consulting firm, HDR, Brown was previously the communications director at the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO).Recalling his time working for the Washington (state) Department of Transportation and then AASHTO, Brown talks about the opportunities and challenges created by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), signed by President Biden in Michigan last week. Brown also talks about discussions by U.S Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to incentivize rethinking some urban freeways, which when built, displaced and cut off certain residents. More transportation officials are acknowledging past mistakes made in building infrastructure that isolated communities and are pursuing plans to improve on the past, including MDOT with I-375 in Detroit. On Tuesday, The New York Times The Daily podcast featured a conversation about similar issues with Clairborne Avenue and the Tremé neighborhood of New Orleans.Also reprised: the rising number of vehicle crashes, especially crashes resulting in serious injuries and deaths as detailed on the Nov. 10 podcast.And a Thanksgiving acknowledgement to the staff that takes on extra duties helping to produce and post the podcast each week.

This week, as President Biden signs the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), a conversation about the historic context of the legislation and what it can mean to Michigan. Andy Doctoroff, a Huntington Woods lawyer who teaches a class that he created at the University of Michigan Law School focusing on infrastructure, joins the conversation to offer his insights.  Doctoroff explains why he believes the $550 billion in new money authorized in the legislation is historically significant. He talks about the challenge of reaching a compromise with such heightened partisanship and the need for strong leadership to ensure the success of the program. Comparing the approach to investing in building infrastructure in other countries, he offers insight on China’s Belt and Road Initiative, a multi-trillion-dollar global infrastructure development strategy. He also talks about how the IIJA compares to other historic infrastructure investments, including the Transcontinental Railroad, the Rural Electrification Act, and the Interstate Highway System, as outlined in this VOA video. Emphasizing the enhanced human connectivity offered by the broadband investments, as well as the rebuilding of roads and bridges.  Later, Doctoroff, who also has a contract with the State of Michigan to help oversee construction of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, offers a progress update. 

On this week’s Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, conversations with two people about the ongoing surge in highway speeds that began with the pandemic in early 2020 and the resulting rise in crash deaths.  First, author and columnist Helaine Olen talks about observations in her Washington Post column this week about the spike in reckless driving and traffic fatalities. Also discussed is the decline in seat belt use during the pandemic. Olen writes that in the United States, “we’ve long failed to take road safety as seriously as we should. The results are predictably tragic: The United States leads the developed world in traffic-related deaths, with more than double the rate of any other country.” She also talks about why her column underscores the need to use the word "crash" instead of "accident," as discussed previously on the podcast. Later, Pamela Fischer, senior director of external engagement at the Washington D.C.-based Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), offers her organization’s perspective on the problem and how automated traffic enforcement could stem the tide. She and a colleague penned an Op-Ed earlier this year that touched on the topic. A bill introduced in the Michigan Legislature in August would allow speeding enforcement by camera in communities where leaders have expressed concerns about excessive speeds. Some other relevant links: Research on automated enforcement by the National Conference of State Legislatures:https://www.ncsl.org/research/transportation/automated-enforcement-overview.aspx GHSA data on speed and red light cameras nationally:https://www.ghsa.org/state-laws/issues/speed%20and%20red%20light%20cameras GHSA Releases Independent Recommendations to Advance Equity in Traffic Safety Programs:https://www.ghsa.org/resources/Equity-in-Highway-Safety-Enforcement-and-Engagement21 

As early-November snow accumulates in Michigan, this week’s Talking Michigan Transportation podcast includes conversations about preparing for winter.  First, Mark Geib, MDOT engineer of operations and administrator of statewide maintenance programs, talks about the efforts of MDOT and other road agencies to recruit and train snowplow operators during a pandemic-related work force shortage. Geib says he and others are looking for ways to reduce the 450,000 tons of salt MDOT uses each year at a cost of about $30 million per year. Later, veterans of MDOT maintenance forces, Jerry Danforth and Mike Golip, talk about their experiences plowing snow and the need for other vehicle drivers to keep a safe distance. Geib also discusses innovations MDOT is studying to conserve salt use by using brine and other agricultural products, providing environmental benefits. MDOT employees Danforth and Golip, who in addition to other maintenance duties have spent a fair amount of time behind the wheel of a snowplow, talk about what they’ve seen from the cab. For a list of MDOT job postings and to apply online, visit  https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/michigan?keywords=transportation.

On this week’s Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, timely conversations about the long-awaited infrastructure bill President Biden has been seeking. Recorded Thursday, Oct. 28, as negotiations continue in Congress, Susan Howard, program director for transportation finance at the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, talks about the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and what it would fund.  Later, Zachary Rable, a policy analyst in the Michigan Department of Transportation's (MDOT) Bureau of Transportation Planning, joins the podcast to break down what the IIJA would mean for Michigan. Howard talks about the transportation highlights in the IIJA and why she’s optimistic Congressional members can find agreement on the broader social safety net bill that would clear the way for a separate vote in the House on the infrastructure legislation, adopted with some bipartisan support in the Senate in August. Among the transportation highlights, the IIJA: Makes the largest federal investment in public transit ever,Makes the largest federal investment in passenger rail since the creation of Amtrak,Makes the single largest dedicated bridge investment since the building of the interstate highway system, andMakes the largest investment in clean energy transmission and electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure in history; electrifying thousands of school and transit buses across the country; and creating a new Grid Deployment Authority to build a resilient, clean, 21st century electric grid. Howard says the investment in EV infrastructure would be significant and presents it as a new frontier, with EV charging dollars going to every state, allowing states to choose how EV infrastructure best fits into their own demographics. She calls it a long-term endeavor. Later, Rable talks about some specifics in the IIJA for Michigan: It would reauthorize surface transportation programs for five years, providing Michigan and MDOT necessary predictable and sustainable funding for advancing the department's multimodal transportation goals,It would provide $2.4 billion in "new" highway funding for Michigan for Fiscal Years 2022-2026, a $340 million average annual increase, andIt would provide $563 million for the Bridge Replacement, Rehabilitation, and Preservation Program, as well as $110 million for the EV Charging Program and $8.7 million for the Ferry Boat Construction Program.

This week on the Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, a conversation with two people deeply involved with recruiting, developing and training the infrastructure-building workforce.  Even before the pandemic-induced phenomenon known as the Great Resignation, employers in many sectors were struggling to find and retain employees. This certainly applies to the skilled trades. First, James Fults, who manages MDOT’s workforce programs and recruitment unit, talks about efforts specific to department jobs. Later, Lee Graham, the executive director of the Labor-Management Education Committee for Operating Engineers 324 (OE324), who have been building in Michigan for more than 100 years, talks about their work. President Biden put a spotlight on the OE 324 training center when he visited earlier this month. Fults explains his unit’s work is mostly focused on five general job categories that have been challenging to fill: transportation maintenance workers, mid-level engineers, technicians, electricians, and surveyors. Acknowledging that the pandemic exacerbated a talent shortage that already existed, he attributes much of the problem to a dearth of younger workers to fill the jobs of retiring baby boomers, a phenomenon now knows as the Sansdemic.   Fults also touts his unit’s other programs, including the Transportation Diversity Recruitment Program, highlighted in the July 28 podcast. Later, Graham talks about his organization’s years-long efforts in workforce development and training and the focus on expanding opportunities through programs like Access for All and the Detroit Regional Workforce Fund. Speaking about President Biden’s visit to the training center, Graham outlines why he thinks the bipartisan infrastructure legislation is so important to Michigan. Graham and OE 324 talk to students as young as kindergarteners to develop an interest in construction and modern building equipment and technology.  Graham highlights the Operating Engineers work, on both sides of the border, to build the Gordie Howe International Bridge. He also talks about other high-profile structures, including stadiums, arenas, and downtown high rises, his members helped build. A stationary engineer offers a testimonial in this One OE 324 member profile video.  Podcast photo: President Biden visited the Operating Engineers 324 training center in Livingston County on Oct. 5, 2021.

On this week’s Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, a conversation with Jesse Ball, who coordinates social media at the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT). Ball talks about his background, growing up in the Upper Peninsula, graduating from Michigan State University, then working in California and Michigan media markets. In 2008, he became MDOT’s first social media administrator.  Understanding that without engagement, social media is just media, Ball talks about the importance of connecting and going beyond one-way communication. The department’s Office of Communication puts an emphasis on transparency and sharing information for people to understand often complex transportation challenges. Ball explains the satisfaction he draws from correcting misinformation and providing fact-based answers. Because transportation touches everyone’s life everyday with so much work being done in plain sight, it is to be expected that people will have many questions and comments. Ball talks about working with people across the department - Planning, Finance, engineers in Transportation Service Centers across the state - to gather accurate and timely responses to myriad questions. He also explains his random Van Halen reference in a recent Facebook conversation.

The busy US-23 freeway south of Ann Arbor, closed more than two weeks because of safety concerns about an overhead railroad bridge, reopened to traffic Tuesday morning (Sept. 28).Craig Heidelberg, engineer of operations at MDOT’s Brighton Transportation Service Center who worked with the contractor doing the repairs and helped oversee the project, talks about mobilizing quickly so the freeway could be open again.As explained by Matt Chynoweth, MDOT chief bridge engineer, on a Sept. 16 edition of the podcast, a truck hauling a piece of construction equipment hit the railroad bridge on Aug. 20, tearing the bottom flange of one of the two main girders.Davis Construction won a 10-day emergency repair contract on Sept. 23. Davis crews completed heat straightening operations last Thursday and a prime coat on the beam cured over the weekend. Crews repaired the bottom flange Monday. Heidelberg talks about the work involved in repairing the bridge and working with multiple community leaders and safety forces, including the Ohio Department of Transportation, to communicate the need to avoid the route while repairs were being done. Podcast photo: Ann Arbor railroad bridge above US-23 near Milan.