Failing Grades
CARDS IN PLACE FOR BUILDING BACK A BETTER MICHIGAN
BY SUSAN THWING
N
o one likes bad grades. But when Michigan received a D+ rating in the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Infrastructure Report Card, no one disagreed with the assessment. Michigan has long battled failing roads, bridges, and energy systems—and finding the funding solutions to pay for repairing them. Even in 2018—the year the ASCE report was released—Governor Gretchen Whitmer ran on the campaign slogan of “Fix the Roads.” Since 1998, ASCE has issued the Infrastructure Report Card, and beginning in 2001, the Report Card has been released every four years. Pothole-ridden roads, bridges propped with temporary supports, sinkholes destroying homes, and closed beaches were all indications Michigan had a problem. This April, even President Biden seemed to concur with the grading when announcing the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The bill is a plan that is expected to be approved this fall that includes a $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan with an anticipated more than $7.3 billion going to Michigan.
SO, WHAT’S WRONG?
To define infrastructure, ASCE includes “fundamental facilities and systems necessary for Michigan’s economy to function. Roads, bridges, schools, water and sewer systems, dams, railways, and energy systems
are categories of infrastructure that directly affect our ability to live, work, and play.” As the report states “Quality infrastructure allows Michigan to be a front-runner in research and development, manufacturing, farming, and tourism. The transportation system gets people to work every day or up north for weekends. Water systems deliver clean drinking water to our homes, communities, and businesses. School buildings provide a safe place for children to learn. Stormwater and wastewater treatment systems protect neighborhoods from floods and our lakes, rivers, and beaches from contamination.” In other words, right now, the lifeblood of the state is not functioning successfully. And failing infrastructure is a big order to fix. The 2018 ASCE Michigan Report Card is being used as a tool used to help residents, businesses, and policymakers understand the state of Michigan’s infrastructure, and outlines the specific problems. Biden’s plan earmarks dollars to make solutions and improvements within reach. According to the initially proposed bill, Michigan is expected to get $7.3 billion for highways and $563 million for bridge replacements over a five-year period. Specifically the plan notes these issues in Michigan: % Roads and bridges: In Michigan there are 1,219 bridges and over 7,300 miles of highway in poor
Michigan is expected to get $7.3 billion for highways and $563 million for bridge replacements over a five-year period.
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condition. Since 2011, commute times have increased by 4.6 percent in Michigan and on average, each driver pays $644 per year in costs due to driving on roads in need of repair. Public transportation: Michiganders who take public transportation spend an extra 67.7 percent of their time commuting and non-White households are 5.6 times more likely to commute via public transportation. 17 percent of trains and other transit vehicles in the state are past useful life. Resilient infrastructure: From 2010 to 2020, Michigan has exper i e n c e d 1 9 ex t r e m e we a t h e r events, costing the state up to $5 billion in damages. Drinking water: Over the next 20 years, Michigan’s drinking water infrastructure will require $13 billion in additional funding. Home energy: In Michigan, an average low-income family spends
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