Infrastructure
Are metro Detroit residents ‘thriving’?
A survey centered on life in the Detroit metropolitan area released on Thursday states that 50% of all residents give life evaluations that classify them as “thriving.” However, 52% of city residents between ages 18 to 39 believe children would be better off going to school in another area. The Detroit Regional Chamber and the […]
Sluggish pace of interconnection might jeopardize states’ renewable goals, report says
Despite reforms meant to speed up the queue, delays in getting mostly new solar, wind and storage projects through the largest American grid operator’s interconnection process could make it tough for some states to hit their renewable energy goals, per a report released Thursday by an environmental group. The report by the Natural Resources Defense […]
Michigan energy reliability task force announces statewide listening tour
The newly-formed Michigan House Energy Reliability, Resilience, and Accountability (ERRA) Task Force announced on Thursday that it will embark on a statewide listening tour in June to hear citizens’ concerns and ideas after large swaths of the state dealt with weeks-long power outages in February. State Rep. Helena Scott (D-Detroit), who chairs the House Energy, […]
In Detroit, U.S. and Canadian officials tout first electric vehicle corridor
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Tuesday joined U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Canadian Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra, and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan to announce the first Binational Electric Vehicle (EV) Corridor between the U.S. and Canada. It will be an international stretch of 869 miles from Kalamazoo to Quebec City — a 13-hour route. “I […]
Amid Michigan’s water infrastructure woes, lawmakers renew push for a state septic code
Michigan Democrats are taking another pass at introducing a statewide septic code, continuing a decades-long effort in the Legislature. Despite the issue’s bipartisan history, Michigan remains the only state without a septic code, with recent efforts failing to gain traction within the Legislature. As the state contends with flooding and sewer backups, addressing individual septic […]
Michigan House passes $80.1B budget for 2024 fiscal year
Democrats leading the Michigan House pushed through this week an $80.1 billion Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 budget, topping Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s $79 billion proposal put forward in February. The House plan includes a $21.5 billion School Aid budget, which Democrats called “the largest investment in education in Michigan’s history,” as well as significant investments in […]
U.S. House GOP wants spending cuts — and also $10B in home-state earmarks
WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans have requested more than $10 billion in earmarks to be included in next year’s appropriations bills, despite demanding massive spending cuts as a contingent for raising the nation’s debt ceiling. All but a handful of House Republicans barely pushed through a bill that would temporarily raise the U.S. borrowing limit, but with […]
Union, state rep. say Amtrak is planning to close crew bases in Michigan, but company won’t confirm
Amtrak may be poised to begin overhauling the way it operates in Michigan, including potentially closing crew bases and centrally locating train service employees in Chicago, according to union officials and a state lawmaker who has been in direct contact with the transportation company about its plans. Union representatives said that long-term plan, which Amtrak […]
On this day in 1909: Woodward Avenue in Detroit is paved with concrete
On April 20, 1909, Woodward Avenue in Detroit made history when it became a paved road. Over the years, it has been described as the “world’s first concrete highway.” The Woodward Avenue road construction, carried out by Wayne County, came at a time when several streets in the Motor City were lined with brick pavers, […]
Biden administration sends millions to states for bridge repair, replacement
The Biden administration will allocate $295 million in federal funding to repair or replace nine bridges across the country, including in Michigan, Oregon, Wisconsin and Virginia, the Federal Highway Administration said Thursday. The funding comes from the 2021 infrastructure law and the bridges were selected as part of a competitive grant program for bridge projects […]
‘Seismic shift in Michigan politics’ paves way for urban economic development, pols say
For the state lawmakers gathered Monday at Linc Up, a Grand Rapids-based nonprofit focused on racial equity, the push to invest in Michigan’s disenfranchised urban cores is, ultimately, about acknowledging that Black Michiganders and other marginalized residents have long been pushed from their homes in the wake of racist policy and new development — and […]
Whitmer signs $1.3 billion spending plan, includes $630M for Ford EV battery plant
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a bipartisan $1.3 billion supplemental spending bill Wednesday, which includes about $630 million for a Ford Motor Company electric vehicle battery plant in the Marshall area that the administration said will create thousands of jobs. House Bill 4016, sponsored by Rep. Angela Witwer (D-Delta Twp.) and passed in the House and […]