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| Governor Names Task Force, Advisory Committee on Transportation |
Michigan's challenges in funding transportation, both surface and aeronautics, will be studied by a new task force and advisory committee appointed on Monday by Governor Jennifer Granholm.
A nine-member task force, whose work will include recommendations from a 19-member advisory committee, is to review the adequacy of transportation and the financing behind it. In the statement announcing the new bodies, Ms. Granholm said the members will review strategies to maximize the return on transportation investments and evaluate potential of alternate strategies to replace or supplement state gasoline and diesel taxes, existing or alternative user fees, and nonuser revenues to support economic activity and transportation of individuals.
The governor has already signaled her opposition to higher fuel taxes and an intent to seek more federal funds to address Michigan's needs.
The Department of Transportation's 25-year plan shows the state will fall $44 billion short of needed road and bridge repair without a new financing strategy, and the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association, part of a coalition recommending a 9-cent per gallon increase in fuel taxes, has called for investing $1 billion more each year to deal with state and local needs.
Mike Nystrom, MITA vice president of government and public affairs, who serves on the task force, said it "has an opportunity to help turn Michigan's economy around and to help create jobs that are sorely needed. There are immediate needs on every front, and therefore we look forward to getting started immediately and aggressively tackling this challenge."
The members of the Task Force to Review the Adequacy of Surface Transportation and Aeronautics Service Provision and Finance in Michigan are: Cindy Elliott of Midland to represent manufacturing, Dennis Gillow of Lake City to represent labor, John James of Farmington Hills to represent transportation; Ann Jousma-Miller of Gladstone to represent agriculture, Mr. Nystrom, Roger Salo of Plymouth to represent aviation, Richard Studley of Grand Ledge to represent commerce, Peter Varga of Grand Rapids to represent public transit and Susan Zehnder of Frankenmuth to represent tourism, all for terms expiring at the pleasure of the governor. The appointments are subject to Senate confirmation.
The members of the citizens advisory committee are: Transportation Commissioner Linda Atkinson of Channing, Boyd Blashfield of the Michigan Trucking Association, Gloria R. Combe of the Michigan Railroads Association, Daniel DeGraaf of the Michigan Concrete Paving Association, Saline Mayor Gretchen Driskell to represent the Michigan Municipal League, Michael Fikes of the Michigan Laborers' District Council, William Gehman of Grand Ledge to represent the Michigan Business Aviation Association, Russell Gronevelt of Plymouth to represent the American Council of Engineering Companies of Michigan, Kari Hughston of McBain to represent the Michigan Farm Bureau, James Klett of Dowagiac to represent the Asphalt Paving Association, James Koslosky of Grand Rapids to represent the Michigan Association of Airport Executives, Keith Ledbetter of the Michigan Infrastructure & Transportation Association, William McFarlane of Ypsilanti to represent the Michigan Townships Association, John Niemela of the County Road Association of Michigan, Sylvester Payne of Freeland to represent the Michigan Public Transit Association, Steward Sandstrom of Kalamazoo to represent the Michigan State Chamber of Commerce, Transportation Director Kirk Steudle, and Robert Struck of Marquette to represent the Michigan Association of Counties, all for terms expiring at the pleasure of the governor. The appointments are not subject to Senate confirmation.
The citizens advisory committee will receive and comment on all analysis and recommendations from technical subcommittees before the submission of reports and recommendations from the task force. The task force will them take their majority, minority or individual views from those reports before submitting their own.
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