What’s a mobility wallet and how does it fit with equity?

What’s a mobility wallet and how does it fit with equity?

What’s a mobility wallet and how does it fit with equity?

This week on the Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, conversations with two people committed to equity in transportation and access for all.

Listen now: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1374205/13384408-what-s-a-mobility-wallet-and-how-does-it-fit-with-equity

TMT -Mobility Wallet


Valerie Lefler, Executive Director of Feonix - Mobility Rising

First, Valerie Lefler, founder and executive director of Feonix – Mobility Rising (pronounced like “Phoenix”), talks about what inspires her work and this week’s launch of the Mobility Wallet Pilot Program for veterans.

David Bulkowski, Executive Director of Disability Advocates of Kent County

Later, David Bulkowski, executive director of Disability Advocates of Kent County (DAKC), talks about his long career working on the same goals and DAKC’s partnership in the program.

Some references in this week’s show:

News release announcing the Mobility Wallet Pilot Program
https://www.michigan.gov/mdot/news-outreach/pressreleases/2023/08/03/michigan-mobility-wallet-pilot-program-for-veterans-launches-on-purple-heart-day

Disability Advocates of Kent County
https://www.dakc.us/

Feonix – Mobility Rising
https://feonix.org/team/

I-75 project update: Resurfacing and repairs continue

I-75 project update: Resurfacing and repairs continue

MDOT E-mail

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                     MEDIA CONTACT

August 10, 2023                                                                      Diane Cross

                                                                  [email protected]

 I-75 project update: Resurfacing and repairs continue; eastbound Holly Road lane closure over I-75 starts Aug. 14

 CLARKSTON, Mich. ­– The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) I-75 project between M-15 (Ortonville Road) and the Oakland/Genesee county line continues with resurfacing and repairing of the roadway along with bridge repairs and other improvements.

Beginning 10 a.m. Monday, Aug. 14, eastbound Holly Road will have one lane open over I-75 for bridge repairs, with a temporary traffic signal.

Current closures:

Updates:

  • Davisburg Road has been opened over I-75. 

MDOT is investing approximately $160 million to resurface and repair I-75 from M-15 (Ortonville Road) to the Oakland/Genesee county line. This project includes resurfacing I-75, repairing 11 bridges, drainage improvements, culvert replacements, signs, and guardrail. Various work will be performed in different locations with different schedules throughout the 15 miles over four years.

Funding for this project is made possible by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Rebuilding Michigan program to rebuild the state highways and bridges that are critical to the state’s economy and carry the most traffic. The investment strategy is aimed at fixes that result in longer useful lives and improve the condition of the state’s infrastructure.

Based on economic modeling, this investment is expected to directly and indirectly support 1,936 jobs.

10 years of Diversity Recruitment Program

10 years of Diversity Recruitment Program

MDOT E-mail

MDOT on facebook MDOT on Twitter MDOT on YouTube Mi Drive - Know before you go. MDOT on Instagram Sign up for E-mails form MDOT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 1, 2023
MEDIA CONTACT
Jeff Cranson
517-648-8247
[email protected]

MDOT marks 10 years of Transportation Diversity Recruitment Program

 Fast facts:
– MDOT’s Transportation Diversity Recruitment Program (TDRP) is celebrating its 10th season.
– The TDRP offers Historically Black College and University (HBCU) students hands-on experience in civil engineering and other opportunities toward a career in transportation.
– MDOT has produced a new video featuring two successful students of the program.

LANSING, Mich. ­- The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) recently celebrated the 10th season of its successful Transportation Diversity Recruitment Program (TDRP) with a program showcase. The goal of the TDRP is to recruit and introduce underrepresented groups of students to transportation-specific career opportunities. The program offers Historically Black College and University (HBCU) students hands-on experience in civil engineering and other opportunities toward a career in transportation.

State Transportation Director Bradley C. Wieferich reflected on the first decade of the program. “The TDRP, I think, is just one example of how we’re building diversity, equity and inclusion into the fabric of what we do. It’s opening the door, where in the past (these students) might not have ever had these opportunities maybe that I had when I was coming up. We need to make sure that we’re expanding the pipeline as much as we can across the industry and the TDRP is an excellent way of making sure that we’re tapping all the resources we need.”

“I’m very happy that MDOT came up with the initiative to recruit students like me,” said Peter Oyewale, an Alabama A&M University student and TDRP intern in MDOT’s Southwest Region. “I’m an international student from Nigeria and when I came to the U.S., I knew it was going to be hard for me to get an internship because I didn’t have a U.S. experience.”

Zaya Wright, a second-year TDRP intern from Southern University and A&M College, commented on her experience with the program. “An opportunity like this doesn’t come as often as people would think. I think this program means a lot, especially to students coming from HBCUs who really don’t have that representation. It has led me to meeting some amazing people and creating some amazing job opportunities for myself.”

The TDRP runs from May to August each year. Requirements include being an engineering undergraduate student enrolled at an HBCU with at least a 2.0 GPA. Go to the program website at www.Michigan.gov/MI-TDRP for more information, or contact TDRP Program Coordinator James Jackson at 517-206-9369 or [email protected].

10 years of Diversity Recruitment Program

I-75 closing between US-24 and Saginaw Road/Dixie Highway

MDOT E-mail

MDOT on facebook MDOT on Twitter MDOT on YouTube Mi Drive - Know before you go. MDOT on Instagram Sign up for E-mails form MDOT
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                     MEDIA CONTACT

July 27, 2023                                                                           Diane Cross

                                                                  [email protected]

 I-75 closing between US-24 and Saginaw Road/Dixie Highway for bridge demolition near the Oakland/Genesee county line

VILLAGE OF CLARKSTON, Mich. ­– Beginning 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 4, I-75 will be closed in each direction between US-24 and Saginaw Road for the demolition of the Rattalee Lake Road bridge over I-75. All traffic will be detoured onto Dixie Highway. Work is expected to be completed by 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 7.

Detours:

Northbound I-75 traffic will take US-24 (Dixie Highway) Exit 93 in the village of Clarkston and continue north to I-75 in Genesee County.

Southbound I-75 traffic will be detoured in Grand Blanc Township and exit at Dixie Highway/Saginaw Road Exit 106, continuing on Dixie Highway to I-75 in Oakland County.

The Michigan Department of Transportation is investing approximately $160 million to resurface and repair I-75 from M-15 (Ortonville Road) to the Oakland/Genesee county line. This project includes resurfacing I-75, repairing 11 bridges, drainage improvements, culvert replacements, signs, and guardrail. Various work will be performed in different locations with different schedules throughout the 15 miles over four years, with overall project completion expected in 2026.

Funding for this project is made possible by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Rebuilding Michigan program to rebuild the state highways and bridges that are critical to the state’s economy and carry the most traffic. The investment strategy is aimed at fixes that result in longer useful lives and improve the condition of the state’s infrastructure.

Based on economic modeling, this investment is expected to directly and indirectly support 1,936 jobs.

10 years of Diversity Recruitment Program

MDOT carpool lot in Auburn Hills closing July 30

MDOT E-mail

MDOT on facebook MDOT on Twitter MDOT on YouTube Mi Drive - Know before you go. MDOT on Instagram Sign up for E-mails form MDOT
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                     MEDIA CONTACT

July 14, 2023                                                                            Diane Cross

                                                                  [email protected]

 MDOT carpool lot in Auburn Hills in Oakland County closing July 30

 AUBURN HILLS, Mich. ­– The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) carpool parking lot at 178 Lake Village Blvd. in Auburn Hills is closing permanently on Sunday, July 30.

County:

Oakland

Location:

178 Lake Village Blvd.

Auburn Hills, MI 48326

Closest city:

Auburn Hills

Closure date:

Sunday, July 30, 2023

11 p.m.

Alternative MDOT carpool lots:

Auburn Hills:

Meijer

800 Brown Road

Auburn Hills, MI 48326

Clarkston:

6731 Sashabaw Road

Independence Twp, MI 48348

Details:

MDOT will be closing the Auburn Hills – West carpool parking lot due to low use. Any vehicle remaining in this lot after 11 p.m. Sunday, July 30, will be towed. Please use one of the alternative carpool parking lots listed above.

 

What’s a mobility wallet and how does it fit with equity?

Fatal crash numbers remain high

Fatal crash numbers remain high; advocates say “safety cameras” could help

Bridge Michigan reported this week that fatal crash numbers remain high in post-pandemic Michigan, with safety advocates again citing risky driving behavior as the reason.

On this week’s Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, Bridge Michigan reporter Mike Wilkinson talks about his analysis of the data and what he found. In a second segment, Pamela Shadel Fischer, senior director of external engagement at the Washington, D.C.-based Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), offers her organization’s perspective on the problem and how automated traffic enforcement could stem the tide.

Listen now: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1374205/13216179-fatal-crash-numbers-remain-high-advocates-say-safety-cameras-could-help

TMT player image - Crashed vehicles

Mike Wilkinson, Bridge Michigan reporter

Wilkinson collected data that supports these troubling findings. He discovered that despite a decrease in overall driving during the pandemic, fatal crash rates have increased by 30 percent over that time frame, particularly in the northern half of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.

The discussion begins with an exploration of worrying trends: an alarming rise in reckless driving and crashes, particularly in rural areas. This is due to several factors, including higher speeds, more risky behavior on the roads, and a concerning disparity in seatbelt usage between rural and urban areas.

Pamela Shadel Fischer

Shadel Fischer is among advocates who say policy makers should promote measures that take advantage of automated technology to detect speeding. She also cites provisions in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to allow for the use of the technology, what she terms “safety cameras.”

Listen now at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1374205.

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