by Becky Andrus | Jan 18, 2022 | Transportation
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MEDIA CONTACT
January 18, 2022 Rob Morosi
248-361-6288 [email protected]
MDOT virtual open house Jan. 27 to discuss Grand River Avenue bridge replacement in Detroit
Detroit, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) invites the public to attend a virtual public open house regarding the upcoming replacement of the Grand River Avenue overpass above I-94 in Detroit. Work is scheduled to begin in February. During this virtual event, there will be a brief presentation on work activities, detours and other project information, followed by a question-and-answer session.
Who:
MDOT staff and project consultants
Interested residents and local stakeholders
When:
Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022 6-7:30 p.m.
Where: Zoom virtual public meeting: click here for zoom meeting
To join by phone without using Internet, call toll-free: 888-788-0099
Webinar ID: 811 7187 7028
Passcode: 174395
Accessibility:
Accommodations can be made for persons who require mobility, visual, hearing, written, or other assistance for participation. Large print materials, auxiliary aids or the services of interpreters, signers, or readers are available upon request. Please contact Orlando Curry at 517-241-7462 or complete Form 2658 for American Sign Language (ASL) located on the Title VI webpage: www.Michigan.gov/MDOT/0,4616,7-151-9621_31783—,00.html. Requests should be made at least five days prior to the meeting date. Reasonable efforts will be made to provide the requested accommodation or an effective alternative, but accommodations may not be guaranteed.
Project information:
The Grand River Avenue bridge over I-94 is being rebuilt in advance of future freeway work based on its age and importance to local street mobility and connectivity. This work is expected to begin in February with the new bridge opening to traffic in late 2022.
The I-94 modernization project will improve safety and mobility by rebuilding roughly 7 miles of freeway between Conner Avenue and I-96. Included in this project is utility and bridge replacements, improvements to freeway interchanges, and adding an additional travel lane. Additional information is available at www.I94Detroit.org.
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by Becky Andrus | Jan 13, 2022 | Transportation
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Who knew naming snowplows would be so popular?
A year into the Michigan Department of Transportation’s (MDOT) initiative to engage the public in naming snowplows across the state, an update on progress.
Listen now: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1374205/9881771-who-knew-naming-snowplows-would-be-so-popular
Shortly after MDOT launched the project in 2021, inspired by a plow-naming venture by Transport Scotland, Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist visited an elementary school in Benton Harbor where a class of fifth graders named a plow Tiger in honor of their school mascot. Gilchrist visited the school and spoke to the students shortly afterward.
On this week’s podcast, Nick Schirripa, MDOT’s Southwest Region media relations representative, talks about the project, the eye-popping numbers of submissions it inspired and why it has been a fun but important endeavor. He and Courtney Bates, a department analyst and web site administrator, worked together to create the naming contest, sort through the names and even put the names of plows on the Mi Drive site so they can be tracked in real time.
As the Detroit Free Press reported in December, ”One year and more than 15,000 possible plow monikers later, and a handful of Michigan Department of Transportation staffers say they see a light at the end of the tunnel. But the project isn’t quite over.”
Schirripa talks about the interest this has generated and why it helps with education about what’s involved in clearing snow from roads in Michigan winters and how the plow-naming project helps in education efforts about safety.
Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist visited an elementary school in Benton Harbor where a class of fifth graders named a plow Tiger in honor of their school mascot.
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by Becky Andrus | Jan 10, 2022 | Transportation
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What the heck is an aerial mobility corridor?
This week, in the wake of an announcement about a first-of-its-kind cross-border initiative to test the feasibility of commercial drone use, Bryan Budds, deputy administrator of the Michigan Department of Transportation’s (MDOT) Office of Aeronautics, explains the project.
Listen now: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1374205/9846119-what-the-heck-is-an-aerial-mobility-corridor
Wednesday, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced that Michigan and Ontario are collaborating on a technology initiative involving unmanned aerial systems (UAS), more commonly known as drones. This effort involves studying the feasibility of a commercial drone skyway in three proposed areas, including an international connection between Michigan and Ontario, southeast Michigan, and any other suitable location in the state.
The effort is a partnership between MDOT, Michigan’s Office of Future Mobility and Electrification, and Ontario government agencies.
Calling it a “highway in the sky,” Budds talks about myriad opportunities to explore the future of drone technology and what it could mean to commerce and the delivery of goods. He also discusses the challenging questions facing regulators as they work to balance privacy, security, safety, and innovation.
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Budds also talks about how this initiative follows on other cross-border collaboration between the governments of Michigan and Ontario for demonstrations involving automated vehicles.
Other relevant links:
http://www.ontario.ca/page/connecting-southwest-draft-transportation-plan-southwestern-ontario
https://www.faa.gov/uas/
https://www.theregreview.org/2021/10/23/saturday-seminar-regulating-domestic-drone-use
NASA’s new concept image for Advanced Air Mobility. Image courtesy of NASA.
Portrait: Bryan Budds, deputy administrator of MDOT’s Office of Aeronautics.
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by Becky Andrus | Dec 23, 2021 | Transportation
MDOT’s busy 2021 and more to come in 2022
On the final Talking Michigan Transportation podcast of the year, MDOT Director Paul Ajegba looks back on the historic investment in roads and bridges, as highlighted in this video.
Listen now: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1374205/9774329-mdot-s-busy-2021-and-more-to-come-in-2022
The video details the additional billion dollars invested in 2021 as well as the 10,000 jobs supported across the state. Some local officials and business leaders share their thoughts on the benefits of the investments.
Director Ajegba underscores the value of Gov. Whitmer’s Rebuilding Michigan bonding program and how it allows for longer-term investments as opposed to the lesser fixes affordable during decades of road funding challenges in Michigan. The governor discussed the plan on the podcast shortly after unveiling it in her 2020 State of the State address.
Also in 2021, Director Ajegba joined the governor at the Mackinac Policy Conference to announce a nation-leading wireless charging plan for electric vehicles. The director talks about the progress.
Reflecting on the major work in 2021, the director talks about addressing many challenges including the pandemic, climate change-induced deluges and flooding that overwhelmed drainage system on Southeast Michigan freeways and addressing crashes on roads under construction, a more acute problem as vehicle speeds have increased during the pandemic.
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by Becky Andrus | Dec 13, 2021 | Transportation
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An urban planner talks Complete Streets, collaboration and the future
On this week’s Talking Michigan Transportation, a conversation with Suzanne Schulz, the former director of planning for the City of Grand Rapids, who helped with some groundbreaking initiatives related to Complete Streets, accommodating multimodal users and breaking down barriers to access. She was also instrumental in helping to implement a statewide Complete Streets policy. She’s now urban planning practice leader at Progressive AE in Grand Rapids.
Listen now: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1374205/9699686-an-urban-planner-talks-complete-streets-collaboration-and-the-future
Schulz talks about implantation of road diets and other Complete Streets initiatives since legislation was adopted in 2010.
As more cities around the world incorporate protected bike lanes into their Complete Streets planning, is it something we can expect in Michigan? Studies show they enhance safety.
She also talks about the imperative for community leaders to collaborate with business owners, residents, state departments of transportation officials, and others on planning for future transportation needs.
Also discussed: inclusion of more passive storm water treatments into street design. Things like bioswales and rain gardens can significantly improve the quality of water making its way into storm water systems. Along those lines, Schulz recalls her work with the City of Grand Rapids establishing a Vital Streets framework that incorporated Complete Streets and green infrastructure.
Podcast photo: Suzanne Schulz, former director of planning for the City of Grand Rapids. |
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by Becky Andrus | Dec 8, 2021 | Transportation
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MEDIA CONTACT
December 8, 2021 James Lake
906-250-0993
[email protected]
‘Tis the season: Practice safe snow removal
Fast facts:
– Piling or depositing snow that obstructs vision is a violation of Michigan’s Vehicle Code.
– Piling snow at the ends of driveways along highway shoulders and pushing snow across roads can create hazardous conditions.
– Keeping sidewalks clear is important to help people walk safely and access public transit.
LANSING, Mich. - Snow is beginning to pile up in parts of the state, and the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is reminding residents living along state highways to be careful and follow the law as they plow or shovel snow.
Two primary concerns are when residents and businesses pile snow at the ends of driveways along the highway shoulder, and when snow is pushed across the road, leaving snow or slush on the road surface.
Michigan Vehicle Code 257.677a prohibits “the obstruction of safety vision by removal or deposit of snow, ice, or slush.” This includes the end of driveways, where banked snow can reduce visibility for vehicles trying to enter the roadway.
“Piling snow at the end of a driveway may be convenient, but makes it difficult for drivers to make sure it’s safe to pull out onto the highway, and tough for drivers to see other vehicles waiting to pull out,” said State Transportation Director Paul C. Ajegba. “Our crews work to keep the shoulders clear and knock down snowbanks at intersections for motorist safety, and residents and business owners need to do the same at their driveways.”
Trails of snow left on the pavement while plowing across the road also can cause problems. As temperatures change, slushy snow can become packed and icy, or refreeze in ridges of ice across the road.
“Careless plowing creates an added hazard to unsuspecting motorists and plow drivers,” Ajegba said.
It also is important to remember that many local ordinances require residents and businesses to keep sidewalks clear of snow. This is important for pedestrians and those waiting for public transit.
“Winter can be a difficult time to get around for those on foot, so please make the extra effort to clear your sidewalks and help everyone stay mobile and safe,” Ajegba said.
