These Community Mobility Reports aim to provide insights into what has changed in response to policies aimed at combating COVID-19. The reports chart movement trends over time by geography, across different categories of places such as retail and recreation, groceries and pharmacies, parks, transit stations, workplaces, and residential. Search by state then scroll down to see each county in Michigan. It clearly shows a marked reduction in travel for nearly all purposes and land uses.
MDOT lifting spring weight restrictions on state highways in Lower Peninsula today
April 2, 2020 -- Effective noon today, April 2, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) will lift spring weight restrictions on state roads from the southern Michigan border north to the Mackinac Bridge.
Frost restrictions are still in effect for the remainder of the state and will be imposed and enforced on all state trunkline highways north of the Mackinac Bridge. State routes typically carry M, I, or US designations.
On March 16, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed Executive Order 2020-12, temporarily lifting seasonal weight and other delivery-related restrictions for vehicles on state and local roads carrying essential supplies to mitigate the spread of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). The executive order extends until 11:59 p.m. Monday, April 13. This spring weight restriction update does not alter the direction given in the governor's order. Permits will still be required for loads exceeding the normal legal limits.
In areas with seasonal weight restrictions still in effect, the following will apply:
- On routes designated as "all-season" (designated in green and gold on the MDOT Truck Operators Map), there will be no reduction in legal axle weights.
- On routes designated as "seasonal" (designated in solid or dashed red on the MDOT Truck Operators Map), there will be a posted weight reduction of 25 percent for rigid (concrete) pavements and 35 percent for flexible (asphalt) pavements.
- All extended permits will be valid for oversize loads in the weight-restricted area on the restricted routes. Single-trip permits will not be issued for any overweight loads or loads exceeding 14 feet in width, 11 axles and 150 feet in overall length on the restricted routes.
County road commissions and city public works departments put in place their own seasonal weight restrictions, which usually, but not always, coincide with state highway weight restrictions. Signs are generally posted to indicate which routes have weight restrictions in effect.
For weight restriction information and updates, call 800-787-8960, or you can access this information on MDOT's website at www.Michigan.gov/Truckers, under "Restrictions." All-season routes are designated in green and gold on the MDOT Truck Operators Map, which is available online. You also may sign up to receive e-mail alerts.
Trucking companies located in New Jersey and Canada can obtain information by calling 517-373-6256.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer calls for water reconnections statewide, establishes fund to help communities comply
LANSING, MICH – Gov. Gretchen Whitmer took strong steps today to ensure at-risk households have access to clean water for hand washing and sanitation through an executive order requiring the reconnection of service to residences that have had water service shut off. A $2-million Water Restart Grant Program will help communities comply with the order.
“This is a critical step both for the health of families living without a reliable water source, and for slowing the spread of the Coronavirus,” said Whitmer. “We continue to work to provide all Michiganders – regardless of their geography or income level – the tools they need to keep themselves and their communities protected.”
The order requires public water suppliers to immediately identify residences in their service area that do not currently have water service, and to make best efforts to restore service to homes where the service has been disconnected due to non-payment or damaged infrastructure. The order also includes reporting and accountability requirements.
The order is effective for the duration of the COVID-19 emergency. It does not absolve anyone from responsibility for past-due bills.
To assist communities in complying with the order, a $2-million fund has been established through Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE). The Water Restart Grant Program will provide funding to local communities to help reconnect homes to their water supplies.
EGLE will provide limited grants to communities based on available funds. Grants will be provided to high-risk areas. Requirements for the grants will include the following:
· Communities must provide a preliminary spending plan, including the estimated number of homes to be reconnected and estimated average cost per home, prior to the grant being initiated.
· If lead lines are being replaced as part of the reconnection, the entire line must be replaced.
· EGLE will reimburse up to $5,000 for reconnection, line replacement, and restoration per home. Exceptions to the cap can be requested for homes needing more extensive work. Exceptions must be authorized by EGLE.
· The community must assure that the plumbers conduct appropriate flushing and provide communication to residents on the importance of flushing and use of filters if needed.
· A 25 percent local match is required.
· Grant funds will be provided on a reimbursement basis upon receipt of appropriate supporting documentation.
Communities interested in accessing the funding should email EGLE-RestartGrants@michigan.gov
“Michiganders need clean water in their homes now more than ever to protect their health and slow the spread of COVID-19 by washing their hands,” said Robert Gordon, director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). “MDHHS is pleased to work to help connect families to critical services and remove barriers to good health practices.”
Those reconnecting to municipal water must first thoroughly flush stagnant water pipes and clean filter screens to remove accumulations of lead and other bacteria that can accumulate in stagnant water. Step-by-step instructions on how to do so are available through this instructional video.
Liesl Clark, director of the state’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, said the Restart Program it is one of numerous steps the agency is taking to ensure clean, uninterrupted water to Michiganders. “We are also working with water plant operators to ensure continuation of safe, reliable water under various scenarios,” she said. “Keeping water flowing, and restoring service where necessary, is vital to defending our state’s residents against COVID-19.”
COVID-19 is a respiratory disease that can result in serious illness or death. With COVID-19 present world-wide, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention has developed guidelines to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Individuals are encouraged to wash their hands often to prevent the spread of the disease.
To view Executive Order 2020-28, click the link below:
The latest information on the COVID-19 situation is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.
Census Bureau Releases 2019 County and Metropolitan Area Population Estimates
Notes from the State Demographer’s office.
Alan Leach, Demographic Analyst March 26, 2020
Today the U.S. Census Bureau released the vintage 2019 county and metropolitan population estimates. These estimates add 2019 to the estimate series and recalculate the previous estimates released since the most recent decennial census in 2010.
Trends in County Populations Since 2010
Since 2010 the populations of only thirteen counties in Michigan have grown by at least three percent. As the map displays, only two of these counties were not in southern Michigan, Grand Traverse and Kalkaska. The counties with the largest percent increase in population were Ottawa (10.6 percent), Kent (9.0 percent), and Grand Traverse (7.0 percent). These counties all experienced natural increase (i.e., more births than deaths), particularly Kent and Ottawa, and large gains in population through migration.
On the other hand, most of the thirty counties experiencing population declines of at least 3 percent were in the Thumb area or Northern Michigan. Exceptions were Wayne and Genesee counties, which experienced losses of population due to migration. By percent, the three counties with the sharpest downturns in population were all in the western Upper Peninsula. The populations of Ontonagon, Gogebic, and Baraga counties were reduced by 15.6, 14.9, and 7.4 percent from 2010–2019, respectively. These counties have all had long-term negative natural change and net out-migration.
Population Change in Michigan’s Metropolitan Areas
As indicated in the table, the Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, and Kalamazoo regions experienced the largest population expansion since 2010 among Michigan metro areas. These areas all had two things in common: positive natural population change and positive net migration. Whereas the Detroit metro area is still by far the largest metropolitan area in the state, it experienced a very modest 0.5 percent growth in population. While this metro area saw more births than deaths, on net it suffered about a 61,000-person population loss due to migration, which limited overall population growth.
Metro areas suffering the sharpest percentage decline in their population base were the Saginaw, Bay City, and Flint regions. Although the Saginaw and Flint metro areas had small natural increases, their net negative migration overwhelmed these gains. Bay City had both negative natural population change and net out-migration.
For more Information
These estimates are available through the U.S. Census Bureau and are available on their population estimates page. Data on a wide variety of topics are also linked directly from our website, www.milmi.org/population.
As always, we are here to assist you with your demographic data needs. I can be reached at leacha1@michigan.gov. Eric A. Guthrie, Michigan’s State Demographer, can be contacted at guthriee@michigan.gov or 517-241-8667.
Spring Michigan Adopt-A-Highway pickup cancelled
March 23, 2020 -- In accordance with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services’ recommendations designed to help prevent the spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) will be cancelling the spring Adopt-A-Highway pickups previously scheduled for April 18-26 and May 9-17 around the state.
The program is currently planned to resume with the statewide summer pickup, scheduled for July 18-26. For more information, visit www.Michigan.gov/AdoptAHighway.
The state is taking proactive steps to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in Michigan. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in reducing the coronavirus risk to Michigan residents.
For current and up-to-date information regarding the coronavirus, visit http://www.Michigan.gov/Coronavirus or http://www.CDC.gov/Coronavirus.
Governor Whitmer Signs “Stay Home, Stay Safe” Executive Order
LANSING, Mich. -- Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed the “Stay Home, Stay Safe” Executive Order (EO 2020-21), directing all Michigan businesses and operations to temporarily suspend in-person operations that are not necessary to sustain or protect life. The order also directs Michiganders to stay in their homes unless they’re a part of that critical infrastructure workforce, engaged in an outdoor activity, or performing tasks necessary to the health and safety of themselves or their family, like going to the hospital or grocery store.
Effective at 12:01 am on March 24, 2020, for at least the next three weeks, individuals may only leave their home or place of residence under very limited circumstances, and they must adhere to social distancing measures recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention when they do so, including remaining at least six feet from people from outside the individual’s household to the extent feasible under the circumstances.
“In just 13 days, we’ve gone from 0 to over 1,000 COVID-19 cases,” said Governor Whitmer. “This is an unprecedented crisis that requires all of us working together to protect our families and our communities. The most effective way we can slow down the virus is to stay home. I know this will be hard, but it will be temporary. If we all come together, get serious, and do our part by staying home, we can stay safe and save lives.”
“Taking aggressive action to protect our communities is the most important thing we can do to mitigate further spread of COVID-19,” said Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Chief Deputy for Health and Chief Medical Executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun. “If we do this now, we can make sure our hospitals and healthcare workers are prepared to take care of the sickest people. It is crucial that people do the right thing by staying home and staying safe.”
Executive Order 2020-21 prohibits all businesses and operations from requiring workers to leave their homes, unless those workers are necessary to sustain or protect life or to conduct minimum basic operations. Businesses and operations are to designate the workers that meet those criteria, and must adopt social distancing practices and other mitigation measures to protect workers and patrons in the performance of that necessary in-person work.
Workers that are necessary to sustain or protect life include those in health care and public health, law enforcement and public safety, grocery store workers, and more. For a full list of these critical infrastructure workers, click the link to Executive Order 2020-21 at the bottom of this page.
Additionally, under Executive Order 2020-21, all public and private gatherings of any number of people occurring among persons outside a single household are temporarily prohibited. People may leave the house to perform for limited, necessary purposes, and may engage in outdoor activities like walking, hiking, running, cycling, or any other recreational activity, consistent with remaining at least six feet from people from outside a person’s household and with other restrictions imposed by prior executive orders.
Michigan is currently in the top five states in the nation in number of confirmed COVID-19 cases. Several governors across the country have taken similar steps to protect their communities from the spread of COVID-19, including governors Mike DeWine (R-OH), Andrew Cuomo (D-NY), J.B. Pritzker (D-IL), Tom Wolf (D-PA), Gavin Newsom (D-CA), John Bel Edwards (D-LA), Phil Murphy (D-NJ), and Ned Lamont (D-CT).
Patients with confirmed infection have reportedly had mild to severe respiratory illness with symptoms of:
· Fever
· Cough
· Shortness of breath
The best prevention for viruses, such as influenza, the common cold or COVID-19 is:
· If you think you have symptoms of COVID-19, call your health care provider. If you do not have a health care provider, call the nearest hospital.
· Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for 20 seconds. If not available, use hand sanitizer.
· Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
· Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or upper sleeve when coughing or sneezing.
· Avoid contact with people who are sick.
· If you are sick, stay home, and avoid contact with others.
· Stay at least 6 feet away from others when in a public setting.
Information around this outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.
For those who have questions about the state’s actions to mitigate the spread of coronavirus, please call the COVID-19 Hotline at 1-888-535-6136 between 8AM - 5PM daily.
Michiganders can apply for unemployment benefits if they have left work or taken a leave of absence because of self-isolation or self-quarantine in response to elevated risk from COVID-19 due to being immunocompromised, displaying the symptoms of COVID-19, having contact in the last 14 days with someone with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19, the need to care for someone with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19, or a family care responsibility as a result of a government directive. Those temporarily laid off from work should apply for unemployment benefits online at www.michigan.gov/UIA or 1-866-500-0017.
Governor Whitmer is working to ensure that children who rely on the food provided by schools will have the resources they need. The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) has developed an online map for families to find meals. Families can access the map at: https://www.mcgi.state.mi.us/schoolnutrition/.
On March 19, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) approved the governor’s request for a statewide Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) declaration, opening the opportunity to small businesses to access low-interest loans from the SBA. The application for disaster loan assistance is available at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/. For businesses looking for more information on how to apply for an SBA EIDL loan or whether it is something they should consider, visit michiganbusiness.org/covid19.
To view executive order 2020-21, click the link below:
MDOT removing additional seasonal weight restrictions on Michigan state highways Monday
March 20, 2020 -- Effective 6 a.m. Monday, March 23, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) will lift additional seasonal weight restrictions on some state roads in the Lower Peninsula.
Seasonal weight restrictions will continue to be imposed and enforced on all state trunkline highways north of a line on M-20 from the US-31 interchange in Oceana County east to US-131 in Mecosta County, then north on US-131 to M-20 in Big Rapids, then east on M-20 to US-10 in Midland County, then east on M-10 to M-25 in Bay City, and continuing on M-25 for the entire Thumb area.
All state trunklines north of this line, including the entire Upper Peninsula, will have seasonal weight restrictions imposed and enforced. State routes typically carry M, I, or US designations. On March 16, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed Executive Order 2020-12, temporarily lifting seasonal weight and other delivery-related restrictions for vehicles on state and local roads carrying essential supplies to mitigate the spread of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). The executive order extends until 11:59 p.m. Monday, April 13. Permits will still be required for loads exceeding the normal legal limits.
In areas with seasonal weight restrictions still in effect, the following will apply:
- On routes designated as "all-season" (designated in green and gold on the MDOT Truck Operators Map), there will be no reduction in legal axle weights.
- On routes designated as "seasonal" (designated in solid or dashed red on the MDOT Truck Operators Map), there will be a posted weight reduction of 25 percent for rigid (concrete) pavements and 35 percent for flexible (asphalt) pavements.
- All extended permits will be valid for oversize loads in the weight-restricted area on the restricted routes. Single-trip permits will not be issued for any overweight loads or loads exceeding 14 feet in width, 11 axles and 150 feet in overall length on the restricted routes.
County road commissions and city public works departments put in place their own seasonal weight restrictions, which usually, but not always, coincide with state highway weight restrictions. Signs are generally posted to indicate which routes have weight restrictions in effect.
For weight restriction information and updates, call 800-787-8960, or you can access this information on MDOT's website at www.Michigan.gov/Truckers, under "Restrictions." All-season routes are designated in green and gold on the MDOT Truck Operators Map, which is available online. You also may sign up to receive e-mail alerts.
Trucking companies located in New Jersey and Canada can obtain information by calling 517-373-6256
Michigan Welcome Centers closing
March 16, 2020 -- In accordance with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services’ recommendations designed to help prevent the spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) will be closing the information lobbies at all Michigan Welcome Centers until further notice.
At locations where it is possible, restrooms will remain open to the public. A contact phone number will be posted at each location for visitors who need additional information. For travel information, visit www.Michigan.gov/Drive.
The state is taking proactive steps to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in Michigan. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in reducing the coronavirus risk to Michigan residents.
For current and up-to-date information regarding the Coronavirus, visit http://www.Michigan.gov/Coronavirus or http://www.CDC.gov/Coronavirus.