A new article in Forbes lays out the upside to Michigan’s new Public Act 325 Asset Management statute. Read the article here.
US-10 Business Route Study Guided "Road Diet" Decisions
In December 2016, the Michigan Department of Transportation released a study, prepared by DLZ Michigan, Inc., that examined current conditions along the US-10 Business Route in Midland, and became the blueprint for the current Buttles Street road diet test.
The study examined various alternatives for the entire Business Route, but several study objectives in particular apply to the Buttles road diet in particular. “Increase connectivity to Downtown Midland and Discovery Square”, and “Improve non-motorized mobility and eliminate barriers for bicyclists/pedestrians with minimal impacts to traffic flow” both relate to the current project.
Ultimately, the study recommended that MDOT move forward with one of a number of proposed alternatives. Alternative 1 became the preferred option after some modifications due to public and stakeholder input. This “would provide non-motorized facilities on Indian Street and Buttles Street. Currently along Indian and Buttles Streets, there is approximately 22-26 feet of width available to implement the non-motorized options. This width includes the existing outside travel lane to the existing right-of-way line, allowing sufficient room for bike lanes, non-motorized paths, sidewalks, and/or green/buffer strips.”
The entire study can be found here. (Note, this document is rather large, and may take a few moments to load or download)
Visit the new MiDrive website for Construction Updates
A great article on the new MDOT MiDrive website for construction and traffic information is at constructionequipmentguide.com
And you can get a link to the MiDrive site from our page with other helpful links and sites, here:
MDOT's Bay Region Continuing to Expand Support for Pollinators
Contact: Jocelyn Hall, MDOT Office of Communications, 989-245-7117
Agency: Transportation
Fast facts:
MDOT's Bay Region has expanded support for pollinators with right-of-way sunflower plantings and Monarch Waystation certifications at most rest areas and Welcome Centers.
MDOT's master gardeners have worked to establish Monarch Waystation certification at nearly all rest areas and Welcome Centers across the Bay Region.
MSU Extension is now offering a free online course for individuals interested in learning more to boost pollinator support.
September 11, 2018 -- As the global pollinator crisis continues to rage, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has increased efforts to support endangered pollinators by expanding food sources for honeybees and now monarch butterflies.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) attributes the pollination of more than 75 percent of the fruits, nuts, and vegetables consumed by humans to the efforts of bees and other pollinating insects. To support their effort to support us, creating reliable food sources for bees and butterflies is an important component.
In 2016, MDOT's Bay Region piloted its first right-of-way sunflower planting, hoping to identify a hearty plant that could thrive in the challenging soil and air conditions adjacent to a freeway. The planting was deemed a success, as the flowers bloomed as intended, but the location was also found to be very popular among a number of bee species. The pop of color didn't hurt either and was well received by many motorists. Additionally, the timing of the planting resulted in a late bloom, with most of the plants flowering in late August, which extended the timing of the food source later into the season, when many bees might struggle to find food.
Following a successful pilot season, MDOT staff approached the second year with plans to expand the sunflowers, identifying locations in both Bay and Isabella counties. With three successful sites for sunflowers now established, MDOT Resource Analyst Amanda Novak is researching different perennial seed mixes that may become an addition, or eventual replacement, to the annual sunflowers.
"Perennial plantings may be initially more expensive but over time they become self-sustaining," said Novak. "If we do this right, we find the correct mix, and we put in the initial work required with these plantings, they will eventually become a consistent food source for pollinators with very minimal maintenance on our part."
Bees are not the only pollinator in need of a reliable food source. Monarch butterflies are known to be essential to pollination and boast an impressive migration pattern, traveling as far south as Mexico during the winter. This is where MDOT's master gardeners (MG) come into play.
MDOT is fortunate to partner with the Michigan State University (MSU) Extension MG program, which has two primary goals: provide education and research-based horticulture science to motivated and active gardeners, and turn those trained gardeners into volunteers who will work to share their knowledge with the public. The program requires extensive education completed in a classroom setting, followed by 40 hours of volunteer work before participants are granted their MG certification. Maintaining the certification status requires continued education and volunteer hours throughout the year, which are no trouble for MDOT's MGs overseeing rest areas.
Rest areas with MG oversight are privileged to have some of the most outstanding flower beds. They're carefully designed around their adaptability to the surrounding conditions and their blooming patterns. Most importantly, the flower beds are maintained through the season by MDOT MG volunteers.
Over the past two years, MDOT's dedicated MGs have worked to establish Monarch Waystation certification at the rest areas they oversee. The purpose of the waystation is to provide resources necessary for monarchs to produce successful generations and sustain their migration. A certified Monarch Waystation contains milkweed and other plants attractive to monarchs, and not only provides food but also a place for the butterflies to continue producing successful generations.
"Providing these waystations was a very important goal for our MGs," says master gardener and former lead for the Swartz Creek Rest Area, Brenda Monty. "This is something that anyone can do - schools, private homeowners, business owners - they can all make a commitment to establish a dedicated area with milkweed and other nectar plants for our monarchs. This is something we are committed to doing for our butterfly population, and it's worth every bit of effort our team has put in."
MSU Extension has recently introduced a Pollinator Champion program ideal for anyone interested in learning more about the pollination process in its entirety and what every individual can do to encourage healthy pollination. The course is conveniently offered online at a self-driven pace and is available to anyone interested in learning more, including current MGs who will also earn education credits upon completion.
For more information about the Pollinator Champion program and the Monarch Waystation certification, go to:
Pollinator Champions program: https://pollinators.msu.edu/programs/pollinator-champions/, and
Monarch Waystation certification: www.monarchwatch.org.
UPDATED: Michigan Road Construction Work Stoppage to Continue After Contract Talks Break Down
This story has been updated:
Gov. Snyder: Road projects to get underway immediately as labor impasse is resolved.
https://www.michigan.gov/snyder/0,4668,7-277-80388_80397-479495--,00.html
ClickonDetroit September 20, 2018 -
WARREN, Mich. - Contract talks in the Michigan roadwork stoppage are over, and the sides don't have a deal. The negotiations aiming to restart critical road projects came to an abrupt stop.
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder hoped a new round of negotiations would get workers back on the job, but negotiations ended Thursday with union operators leaving the bargaining table, saying officials had reneged on a handshake deal.
Staff members at the governor's office are fuming over the claims.
Snyder is threatening to put National Guard heavy equipment operators behind the wheel to get the construction projects going again.
The union and the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association started talking earlier this week, and there was hope that the two organizations would come to an agreement and restart the projects. But that effort has failed in spectacular fashion.
From China, Snyder directed his staff to get mediation going with MITA and the Operating Engineers 324.
On Monday afternoon, OE 324 thought it had a deal. But as the week went on and the heavy equipment sat unused, and wet from heavy rains, the union's lawyers met repeatedly with the governor's staff until talks finally broke down Thursday afternoon.
"We are deeply disappointed that MITA is now torpedoing our agreement with the Gov. Rick Snoyder administration that would have brought workers and contractors together," OE 324 President Ken Dombrow said in a statement. "The only fair way to resolve this dispute is for OE 324 leaders to meet with the governor immediately so that we can get back to work fixing the roads."
Snyder isn't scheduled to return to the state from China until this weekend.
Meanwhile, MITA, the negotiating group for many of the highway construction contractors, contradicted the engineers' assessment of the situation.
"There was no deal torpedoed," MITA Executive Vice President Mike Nystrom said. "We want to get back to work."
Nystrom said he hadn't heard from the governor's office since Monday.
"Operating Engineers 324 put out a release that is flat-out filled with lies to the public and its membership," Nystrom said.
OE 324 had a lot more to say about the situation.
“Operating Engineers 324 has bent over backwards during this entire process to make sure that critical road projects are completed without pain and inconvenience for Michigan drivers. Our road builders showed up every day to do their job, even without a contract since June,” Dombrow said.
Nystrom said MITA is going to start looking for subcontractors, even out-of-state contractors, to come in and try to get the work finished.
Here is a full statement from Nystrom:
"Today the leaders of OE 324, Doug Stockwell and Ken Dombrow, issued a statement to the media falsely claiming that MITA rejected an agreement Monday negotiated by the Governor’s Office to put OE 324 members back to work. Unfortunately for OE 324 members and motorists who are waiting for the industry to get back to work fixing Michigan’s roads, these supposed leaders have flat out lied and are proving to be as dishonest and no more trustworthy than their predecessor, John Hamilton. The truth is that MITA and OE 324 were asked to meet with the Governor’s Office Monday in an attempt to start some sort of talks. Both parties met separately with the Governor’s team, but no form of an agreement was ever finalized. Discussions continued between the Governor’s Office and OE 324 throughout the week in an effort to set up some form of a mediation session, which was scheduled for Friday, Sept. 21. OE 324 has now walked away and continues to refuse to meet to even start real and productive talks, just as they have all summer long. Instead of coming to the table for talks, Mr. Stockwell and Mr. Dombrow continue to collect their paychecks and enjoy their fringe benefits while their members continue to wait for a new contract while receiving no pay and no benefits, and Michigan motorists continue to drive on some of the worst roads in the nation. MITA member companies are more unified than ever, and I will say it again: This defensive lockout will end as soon as the union ratifies the industry-proposed contract. The industry will work with the Governor’s Office and MDOT in order to make progress on as many road projects as possible with available workers who are qualified to safely operate the equipment needed to complete a quality project."
Here is the latest statement from the governor's office:
"On behalf of the the Governor’s team, I can unequivocally state that the Operating Engineers 324’s claims in its news release are patently untrue. Our team was working on a simple resolution: extend until December a contract that expired in June. That way, the Governor’s top priority — using historic levels of funding to fix Michigan’s roads — could be done this fall as planned. Professional mediation could then be used to help the two sides resolve their differences.
"We even confirmed that one of the mediators who successfully completed the Grand Bargain bankruptcy for Detroit would assist with the mediation. Neither side accepted our numerous offers to help find a resolution.
"This unacceptable work stoppage will put motorists’ safety at risk this winter. Gov. Snyder remains committed to resolving this situation and is looking at what options are available to finish projects as quickly as possible. These options range from withholding payments for contractors to activating the National Guard and using their heavy equipment operators for roadwork.
"Gov. Snyder’s team has been working in good faith to end a standoff that has jeopardized the safety of motorists and workers. This unacceptable work stoppage has resulted in road projects sitting idle at a time when historic levels of road funding should see work accelerating, not slowing down.
"Gov. Snyder also has contacted the National Labor Relations Board to ask it to accelerate the review of unfair labor practice charges that have been filed in this case."
Copyright 2018 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved.
Census Bureau Releases 2017 ACS 1-Year Estimates
The U.S. Census Bureau has released the 2017 American Community Survey 1-year Estimates. This important release contains data for all geographies with a population of 65,000 or greater.
Please see the link below for notes on this release.
Recycle-A-Bicycle looks for a new locale
The Midland Daily News recently featured an article on the Recycle-A-Bike project of the Tri City Cyclists club. The article can be found here, and explains the project while also indicating that they are looking for a new home, with their current space becoming unavailable soon. If you are interested in volunteering, please see the Recycle-A-Bike webpage here.
Tri-City Cyclists comprises bicycling enthusiasts from Bay City, Saginaw, and Midland, and surrounding areas. Their purpose is to promote, represent, and advocate for safe and enjoyable recreational cycling. They hold rides that provide an opportunity for cyclists of all ages and abilities to experience the wide variety of cycling experiences this region has to offer.
$232,000 in grants awarded throughout Prosperity Region 5
The East Michigan Council of Governments announced today that a total of $232,000 in grants through a competitive grant process for projects throughout the region which further the Prosperity Region 5 Strategy that was developed in 2014. A total of 58 grant applications were received. Twenty-nine mini grants and 6 micro grants (up to $1,000) were awarded. See the press release with more details here.