Governor Snyder talks road funding plan

LANSING — Governor Rick Snyder is calling for a funding plan that would provide $1.2 billion annually for local and state road repairs.

The governor and MDOT executive director Kirk Stuedle met for a roundtable discussion Friday, calling attention to Michigan’s crumbling infrastructure. They both understand that all of Michigan’s roads need help, including ones in northern Michigan.

“I think you can look at the pictures we show and the displays, and you can find an example of that (bad road conditions) in every corner of the state,” Stuedle said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s a bridge railing in Cheboygan or Alpena, something in downtown Charlevoix or in Marquette, Munising, or Ontonagon — there’s bad bridges across the state, there’s poor pavement across the state.”

“In terms of Northern Michigan, Pure Michigan tourism is one of our largest industries, and if you think about it, are we creating a great experience when we’re bouncing people around on the roads and they’re wondering, ‘are they on the moon, or are they Michigan?’ We need to do something about this,” Snyder said.

Governor Snyder’s plan would eliminate the current per-galleon fuel tax and replace it with a wholesale fuel tax that would gradually increase over three years. Sixty percent of the revenue would go to local municipalities for roads and bridges.  Revenues would increase to 73% by 2018.

Michigan’s gas tax was last increased in 1997.

More information Governor Snyder’s road plan can be found by clicking here.