“The right to criticize government is also an obligation to know what you are talking about.”
-Lent Upson, first director of Citizens Research Council
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Core Problems in State’s Roads Program Remain Unresolved |
Over 25 years after the Act 51 Transportation Funding Study Committee completed its work, Michigan remains constrained by the same structural problems. If Michigan is serious about improving the performance of its road program, it must invest in independent research by knowledgeable professionals acting in the public interest. Such research is necessary to obtain an objective perspective and actionable policy recommendations. The alternative – and status quo – is to throw more money into a wasteful system and hope that things will improve. Examining the legacy of the Act 51 Transportation Funding Study Committee helps explain why Michigan’s road program continues to struggle and can inform a path toward more meaningful reform in the future. IN A NUTSHELL — The Act 51 Transportation Funding Study Committee convened in 1998 to identify inefficiencies in Michigan’s road program and advise the legislature on appropriate changes to the road funding distribution formula. — The subsequent Study Committee report recommended the creation of an asset management process to inform and guide improvement of Michigan’s road program. State policymakers subsequently adopted an asset management program, but this has not resulted in meaningful reform. — Core problems in Michigan’s roads program remain unresolved. The road funding formula is now more complex, more entrenched, and less effective than it was 25 years ago. Meaningful improvement will require independent research to achieve an objective assessment of problems and solutions. Read the Brief |
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The Research Council in the News |
The Great Stay: Why Michigan Workers Are Choosing Stability Over Risk in 2026, MITechNews (January 6) Michigan’s gas tax will increase in 2026. Here’s when you’ll pay more at the pump, MLive.com (January 2) Michigan Legislature’s 2025 brings record low number of new laws, Detroit News (December 31) 2025 Year in Review: The best of It’s Just Politics, Michigan Public (December 26) Madhu Rustagi Anderson on how to incentivize change, Ford School of Public Policy (December 16) The Uncertainty of Funding in the 2025 Road/Transportation Package, Michigan Business Network (December 13) |
Catch Up On 2025 Research You May Have Missed! |
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