Public Transportation Program impacts

Michigan’s rail system has approximately 3,600 miles of track operated by 30 railroads and carries nearly 17 percent of the state’s freight tonnage. As funding permits, MDOT works with the Michigan Economic Development Corp. (MEDC), as well as the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD), to provide support to the state’s businesses that need rail, most directly through the preservation of the freight-rail corridors owned by the state and by helping provide access to the system through the Freight Economic Development Program.

Access to convenient and efficient air travel is essential to maintaining a competitive advantage in a global economic environment. While commercial airline services are often the most recognizable facet of aviation, general aviation accounts for 97 percent of the nation’s airports. These airports support a variety of aviation activities, employing thousands of people and creating millions of dollars in economic impacts. Businesses throughout the state depend on airports for the movement of goods and personnel. Benefits associated with airports include direct and indirect jobs, wages, and expenditures, as well as the economic ripple effects in the community, enhancing economic activities far from the airport itself. In a state like Michigan, airports serve a vital role in supporting rural communities, particularly in the Upper Peninsula.