State of Michigan Launches 2020 Census Website

LANSING – In preparation for the 2020 Census, the state of Michigan has launched a new website to provide information and resources to Michiganders.

Live as of Tuesday, Jan. 14, the website will be available throughout the census-taking season so residents can have their questions answered, keep up to date on the latest census news and obtain a better understanding about the importance of the census. The website includes a list of frequently asked questions and an interactive map of hard to reach areas, among other things.

To find more resources about the census or to get involved, go to www.michigan.gov/census2020.

The website is one piece of a larger effort to ensure that every Michigander is counted. In particular, the “Count Me In” campaign seeks to let Michigan residents know that responding to the census this year is convenient, confidential and critical to the future of our state.

Residents can fill out the census in multiple languages online, by phone or on a paper form. All answers are completely confidential.

By law, the data can be collected for statistical purposes only and cannot be used against a person. The Census Bureau cannot share or publish any household-specific census data, even to other government agencies.

Ensuring an accurate count of Michiganders is important because roughly $30 billion in federal funding for public safety, schools, housing, health care, and more, as w ell as one congressional seat, are at stake for Michigan.

The census count will shape Michigan’s social infrastructure for the next decade.

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao Announces Major New Initiative to Support Rural Transportation Needs

ST. LOUIS, MO – U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao today announced the creation of a major new initiative to support transportation needs in rural America. The initiative, known as the Rural Opportunities to Use Transportation for Economic Success (ROUTES) Initiative, will analyze the Department’s discretionary funding and financing opportunities to ensure nationwide outcomes for rural communities’ transportation infrastructure. Secretary Chao made the announcement during her remarks at the annual meeting of the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO) in St. Louis, Missouri. 

“Rural America, which has a disproportionately high rate of fatalities and is historically neglected, needs to have its transportation needs addressed,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao.

Rural communities and their transportation networks have been instrumental in building and supplying urban areas throughout our nation’s history, carrying people from city-to-city and carrying freight from bedrock American industries such as agriculture, mining, forestry, and manufacturing.  Yet rural transportation infrastructure has significant challenges. Over 70% of America’s road miles are in rural areas. While one-fifth of Americans live in rural areas, rural America’s traffic fatalities are disproportionately high, totaling 46% of fatalities in 2018. Further, of the nation’s bridges that are posted for weight limits, 90 percent are in rural areas.

The new ROUTES Initiative will address these challenges by assisting rural stakeholders in understanding how to access DOT grants and financing products, and developing data-driven approaches to better assess needs and benefits of rural transportation projects. This builds on the Department’s Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) Loan Program’s Rural Project Initiative, which offers lower project-cost thresholds for loan eligibility, subsidized interest rates, and the coverage of fees to encourage use of the credit program for infrastructure projects in rural areas. The Department will engage rural transportation stakeholders at events over the coming year to educate project sponsors about the funding and finance opportunities at DOT, as well as to receive their feedback.

Secretary Chao also announced the formation of a rural transportation infrastructure council, the ROUTES Council, to lead the way on this initiative. This new internal deliberative body at the Department will identify critical rural transportation concerns and coordinate efforts among DOT’s different modal administrations. The Council will initially review public comments and create a rural resources handbook, holding its first meeting in November 2019.

Learn more about the ROUTES Initiative here.

MATS to Host FY 2020-2023 Transportation Improvement Program Open House

Public Notice

Public Comment and Open House Regarding MATS’

 2020-2023 Transportation Improvement Program

The Midland Area Transportation Study (MATS) is seeking public comment on the proposed 2020-2020 Transportation Improvement Program. The TIP outlines future programmed improvements to the area’s transportation system. It is available for review on the MATS website at www.midlandmpo.org. The public can submit comments to MATS through website, by mail, e-mail, or phone - 989-832-6812 by May 20th.  

An “Open House” to discuss the TIP will be held on Thursday, May 2, 2019 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM in the Atrium of Midland County Services Building, 220 W. Ellsworth Street. Pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, aids/services may be requested to participate in the meeting.

A draft of the proposed document can be found at: https://cloud.co.midland.mi.us/s/0NOEOoRlkqaYj2P

Federal Transportation Investment in MATS’ Area Significantly Increases

MIDLAND, Mi., December 3rd, 2018- The Midland Area Transportation Study (MATS) has released its Annual Report, showing increased Federal funding obligated in the MATS area for Fiscal Year 2018, for roads and transit. State and Local funds are included in the report for reference.

The 2018 MATS Annual Report:

• Shows that overall Federal investment in the MATS area is up sharply over FY 2017.

• Federal funding increased from 8.3 to 31 million dollars, with roads and bridges being the largest beneficiary, particularly the new M-20 Bridge.

• Some of this investment continues to be due to emergency funding related to the June 2017 flooding.

• Transit obligations have returned to historical levels, at 1.6 million. This is partially due to 5 new buses purchased by local Transit agencies.

According to MATS Director Maja Bolanowska, these obligations "are small MPO area surface transportation, safety, rural roads, transit operating and transit capital funds. They allow many projects to be completed. All these categories of funding represent federal gas tax revenues coming back to the local community”.

About the Midland Area Transportation Study: MATS is the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the Midland Area, established in January 2013. MATS focuses on regional transportation planning services and helps to create intergovernmental cooperation. MATS is a policy-making agency, developing transportation plans and programming Federal-aid projects while providing public outreach regarding transportation issues. The MATS metropolitan planning region is defined as the entire geographic County of Midland, the geographic area of City of Auburn and Williams Township within Bay County and Tittabawassee Township in Saginaw County. For additional information, please visit www.midlandmpo.org or call (989) 832-6333.

Read the details here.

League of Michigan Bicyclists Announces Safe Passing Law

Via the League of Michigan Bicyclists:

LMB is very pleased that Governor Snyder signed HB 4198, 4265, and 4185 into law on June 29, 2018! Our bills are now Public Acts 277, 279, and 280 of 2018. PA 279 and 280 require motorists to give three feet of space as they pass bicyclists on the roadways. You can read more about the safe passing law and get answers to frequently asked questions on our website.

Although the passage of our safe passing law is a huge victory, there is still plenty of work to do. We must work together to spread the word about the new law. LMB has developed safe passing lawn signs, buttons, and stickers, similar to the image below, that will allow you to show your support and help spread the word to the general public about the new law.

Greenhouse Gas Emission Performance Measure Repealed by Federal Highway Administration

On May 22, 2018, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) signed a final rule repealing the performance management measure in 23 CFR 490.507(b) that assessed the percent change in tailpipe carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, from the reference year 2017, on the National Highway System (NHS) (also referred to as the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) measure). The GHG measure was one of several performance measures that FHWA required State departments of transportation (State DOTs) and metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) to use to assess performance in a variety of areas.

By repealing the GHG measure, FHWA will no longer require State DOTs and MPOs to undertake administrative activities to establish targets, calculate their progress toward their selected targets, report to FHWA, and determine a plan of action to make progress toward their selected targets if they failed to make significant progress during a performance period. (See 23 CFR 490.105, 107, 109.)

The GHG Final Rule is available here.