by orionontv | Oct 29, 2025 | Transportation
MDOT hosting community meeting Nov. 13
on next steps with the I-375 project
DETROIT, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is hosting their twelfth community meeting to discuss the I-375 project in Detroit. At this meeting, attendees will have the opportunity to engage directly with the project team and partners to learn about the project pause, what was accomplished, proposed revisions on the project and details on utility upgrade construction activities.
Who:
All are welcome.
When:
Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025
5:30 – 7:30 p.m. (Presentation begins promptly at 5:50 p.m.)
Where:
The Eastern
3434 Russell St.
Detroit, MI 48207
The meeting will also be livestreamed. Presentation materials will be posted on the project website and available for viewing after the meeting.
Accessibility:
Attendees who require mobility, visual, hearing, written or other assistance for effective participation should contact Orlando Curry at 517-241-7462 or CurryO@Michigan.gov preferably at least five business days prior to the scheduled meeting. Forms are located on the Title VI webpage. Requests made after this timeframe will be evaluated and honored to the extent possible.
Project background:
Through the I-375 project, MDOT is proposing to convert the existing freeway into a street-level boulevard with signalized intersections from Macomb to Franklin streets and develop more street-level connections from neighborhoods into Greektown and downtown. The proposed project features numerous community enhancements, including upgrading mobility and access, improving environmental quality for neighborhoods and taking an equitable approach to honoring the history of the former Black Bottom and Paradise Valley neighborhoods.
Public comment:
MDOT continues to seek public participation and welcomes input. Comments can be submitted via email, by phone at 855-375-MDOT (6368), on the project website and in person at the community meeting.
by orionontv | Oct 24, 2025 | Transportation
Why MDOT is solidifying policies for use of facilities
The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has proposed administrative rules to provide guidance on the use of properties it maintains throughout the state. The proposed rules would improve safety and maintenance, and apply to all of Michigan’s 61 rest areas, 82 roadside parks, 267 carpool lots, 23 scenic turnouts and 14 Welcome Centers.
We want to hear from you! New rules proposed for Michigan roadside facilities. Visit Michigan.gov/ROWRules.
 Greg Losch, head engineer for MDOT’s University Region, has coordinated the drafting of the rules in collaboration with other state agencies. He spoke on the Talking Michigan Transportation podcast about the rules’ objectives, chiefly ensuring the safe operation of the facilities.
Losch also explains how a long-term lack of adequate transportation funding has caused MDOT to not have the needed resources available that have helped in some other states.
For more information or to leave a comment, visit Michigan.gov/ROWRules. |
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by orionontv | Oct 9, 2025 | Transportation
Michigan budget has good news for studying road usage charges
With Michigan’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget agreement now signed into law, this week’s edition of the Talking Michigan Transportation podcast focuses on a long-discussed pilot project for a road usage charge (RUC) system, which received funding.
 First, State Sen. Veronica Klinefelt of Eastpointe, who chairs the Senate Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee and has been a strong advocate for studying alternative ways to fund transportation, explains why she advocated for the RUC pilot. |
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Later, John Peracchio, a senior adviser to Michigan’s Council on Future Mobility and Electrification (CFME), offers his insights on how a RUC system has worked in other states and how the council can help with the education process. |
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by orionontv | Oct 8, 2025 | Transportation
MDOT contracted carrier Indian Trails
named 2025 best bus service in US
LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) congratulates Indian Trails for being selected as number one of the 10 best bus services for 2025 by USA Today. Indian Trails was the only Michigan-based bus service to make the list, outperforming other well-known bus companies across the nation.
“We are proud to have an exceptional partnership with Indian Trails,” said Jean Ruestman, MDOT Office of Passenger Transportation (OPT) administrator. “Only through first class transportation professionals, such as Indian Trails, can MDOT achieve its vision to provide Michiganders with a safe, interconnected multimodal transportation network with equitable options. I applaud Indian Trails for their outstanding achievement.”
Based in Owosso, Indian Trails is a family-owned, intercity motorcoach carrier operating one of the largest and newest fleets in the state. Their buses are equipped with environmentally friendly features geared toward the safety and comfort of their passengers. Indian Trails connects 80 towns throughout Michigan and specifically partners with MDOT to provide service on five state-sponsored routes. Additionally, Indian Trails provides the popular Michigan Flyer airport shuttle service, which connects East Lansing, Whitmore Lake, Ann Arbor and Detroit Metro Airport.
“Generations of Indian Trails employees truly earned this honor by operating a top-notch bus transportation company for more than 115 consecutive years,” said Chad Cushman, president of Indian Trails. “We must also thank the nearly 1 million loyal passengers who rely on us each year to carry them safely to their destinations, as well as the partner agencies, MDOT and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, who support our routes connecting rural communities.”
For more information on the Intercity Bus Program, visit the MDOT OPT website or download Michigan’s Intercity Bus System Map for available routes.
by orionontv | Oct 2, 2025 | Transportation
Reprise: What 2024 polling said about removing sales tax from fuel
As lawmakers complete a Fiscal Year 2026 budget agreement, one component involves removing the sales tax on fuel and adding a commensurate amount to the fuel tax and putting it toward transportation.
This week’s Talking Michigan Transportation podcast revisits a 2024 conversation with a veteran Michigan pollster about his survey then showing an overwhelming number of voters want the taxes they pay at the pump to fix roads and bridges.
Michigan is among states with a sales tax on motor fuels. That tax, 6 percent, does not go to roads and bridges. By law, the proceeds support the school aid fund, revenue sharing for local municipalities and a minor portion helps fund local transit services.
Bernie Porn, president of the polling firm EPIC-MRA, explained that all survey respondents were asked, “Do you think that all of the taxes that you pay at the gas pump should or should not go toward funding improvements to Michigan’s roads and bridges?” |
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by orionontv | Sep 25, 2025 | Transportation
Federal help for studying and reducing wildlife crashes
Note: Resending with updated link to podcast.
On this week’s Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, news that a federal grant will allow for the study of wildlife crossings to protect motorists and animals alike.
An animal-crossing sign for tortoises. Photo by Carol M. Highsmith on Noun Project.
Amanda Novak, a resource specialist at the Michigan Department of Transportation who helped lead the effort to secure the grant, returns to explain the benefits.
 The grant award comes at a good time as State Farm released an annual report this week that shows Michigan ranked fourth among states for vehicle collisions with animals.
As reported previously, these crashes pose tremendous risk and costs to drivers. For example, white-tailed deer alone account for more than 55,000 collisions and a $130 million cost to drivers per year.
Novak talks about what she’s learned from other government agencies, which have studied the problem and implemented mitigation efforts.
A previous episode of the podcast featured a conversation with a connectivity specialist with the Yellowstone to Yukon (Y2Y) Conservation Initiative about creative and successful solutions implemented on the Trans-Canada Highway in Banff National Park. |
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