LANSING – Michigan Transportation Team (MTT) officials will travel to Washington, D.C., this week to make sure lawmakers know that the level of investment proposed for Michigan in the FY12 House Budget Resolution would devastate Michigan’s transportation network.  Highway funding for Michigan would drop 37 percent under the plan introduced by the U.S. House, cutting the fund from $1 billion to $637 million.

“Cutting infrastructure does not save money,” said Keith Ledbetter, director of legislative affairs for the Michigan Infrastructure & Transportation Association (MITA). “This significant cut only puts off expensive repairs for future generations to inherit – which is bad for Michigan’s economy and its citizens.”

With 20,810 miles  (35 percent) of its federal aid road system already in poor condition, Michigan cannot afford funding cuts of this magnitude.  Proposed funding levels will force taxpayers into expensive repairs and would prevent hundreds of miles of roads and dozens of bridges from being repaired each year.   MTT officials have continually called on the Obama administration and congressional leaders to adopt a long-term highway authorization that provides stable revenues and the ability for long-term planning.

While in Washington, the group will also address the importance of maintaining infrastructure to ensure clean water.

“The Clean Water Act has not been reauthorized in 20 years,” said Ledbetter. “The country has no long-term strategy to fund our nation’s infrastructure. A reauthorization passed the House last year and now it is time to get both houses of Congress to act.”

Earlier this month, MITA released a study that showed almost 15 billion gallons of raw sewage have been released into Michigan waters since Jan. 1 – the equivalent of 25,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools. This is partly due to state and federal cuts to underground infrastructure repair in Michigan.  The recently passed FY 2011 Clean Water Appropriations bill cut Michigan’s State Revolving Fund appropriation from $83 million to $63 million and cut the Drinking Water Revolving Fund from $41 million to $28 million. Over a 20-year period, that will result in $80 million less in sewer clean-ups and $50 million less in drinking water repairs.

The delegation supports recently introduced legislation designed by a bipartisan energy work group that dedicates revenues from offshore oil and gas exploration leases to repair the nation’s infrastructure – $440 billion would go to repair America’s locks, dams, bridges, roads, and highways, and $66 billion would be dedicated funding to modernize and rebuild America’s clean water and wastewater infrastructure.

“Infrastructure is a critical function of the state’s economy – employing thousands of construction workers each year, directly supporting Michigan’s three core industries – tourism, agriculture and manufacturing,” concluded Ledbetter.

The Michigan Transportation Team (MTT) is a broad-based, bipartisan partnership of business, labor, local government, associations and citizens with the common goal of improving Michigan’s transportation infrastructure.  Groups taking part in the 2011 MTT Washington Fly-In include: The Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association, Michigan Chamber of Commerce, County Road Association of Michigan, Operating Engineers Local 324, MI Regional Council of Carpenters, Michigan Department of  Transportation, Michigan Municipal League, Michigan Association of Counties, Lowe Construction, Wade Trim, Walter Toebe Construction, Edward C. Levy Company, Anlaan Corporation, Goretski Construction, Bacco Construction, Hoffman Brothers Inc, Paradigm 2000 Inc., Barrett Paving Materials, Michigan Paving Materials and Public Affairs Associates.

Please visit www.drivemi.org for more information on transportation funding or follow them on twitter @drivemi or YouTube at www.youtube.com/user/FixMIRoads.

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