Happy New Year, MDOT! 🎉 Looks like you’ve been doing some fantastic work in regards to roads. We’d love to see more videos on what you’ve been doing in MI in 2023 with cycling and rail infrastructure (since MDOT stands for Michigan Department of Transportation, not Michigan Department of Automobiles 😅)! Might be a great opportunity to show off some of the work MDOT has been doing to make Woodward (M-1) in Ferndale safer for bicyclists and pedestrians and progress on plans for removing I-375!
Hi there! MDOT will continue to apply the state transportation budget exactly as drafted by the Legislature and signed into law by the governor, including the levels of funding for each mode of transportation. Any changes to the yearly transportation budget would best be discussed with your state representative or senator, or the governor's office. MDOT does not set those levels. Thanks for following MDOT!
@@MichiganDOTDoes MDOT not communicate its budgetary needs to the governor when the governor is producing a budget proposal? We support you MDOT, but this boilerplate answer seems off. Surely MDOT is not shirking its duties when it comes to communicating its budgetary needs? Can you explain how MDOT works with the governor in the budget proposal process to get more funding for multimodal transportation and complete streets funding that focuses on pedestrian, bicyclists, rail passengers, and bus users? Thanks!
Hi there! MDOT does indeed keep the public and legislators abreast of the current condition of the state transportation system. The question of how much this feedback, and any other public feedback received, is taken into consideration by the Legislature when they draft the yearly budget bill would best be posed to those legislators. Ultimately, the Legislature decides funding for each mode of transportation in their drafted legislation, not MDOT. This isn't boiletplate, just the fact of the matter. The governor can then either sign the legislation into law or veto it, sending it back to the Legislature for more work. We recommend getting in touch with your state representative and/or senator, and/or the governor's office, to discuss your budget recommendations. MDOT does discuss the budget process and transportation funding in its annual Five-Year Plan: www.michigan.gov/mdot/-/media/Project/Websites/MDOT/Programs/Planning/Five-Year-Transportation-Program/2024-2028-5YTP.pdf, as well as the Guide to MDOT: www.michigan.gov/mdot/-/media/Project/Websites/MDOT/About-Us/Governmental-Affairs/Official-Guide-MDOT.pdf. Thanks for following MDOT.
@@MichiganDOT We appreciate the response! While the legislature has the final say on how much MDOT is funded and determines the final allocation, it's the Michigan State Budget Office (SBO) - an executive branch office under the purview of the governor - that provides a budget recommendation to the legislature to initiate the conversation. @CycleDetroit members continue to lobby our local state legislators (house and senate) on the issues as well as have discussions with the governor's office. However, no one knows the needs of MDOT better than the staff at MDOT. It would be comforting to know that Director Wieferich and MDOT management are having conversations with the governor's office and SBO about budget recommendations for the legislature (particularly that those conversations include greater funding for projects around improved pedestrian, cycling, and transit experiences). We respect the expertise at MDOT and believe that MDOT conversations with the SBO and the governor's office are the best way of doing this. Given that, would you be able to share with us what conversations between MDOT and the SBO and governor's office look like? Thanks! 🙏❤
Here you go! The executive budget process begins well in advance of the time when the budget will be submitted to the Legislature. State departments start planning their budget submissions more than a year before the start of the fiscal year for that budget. The State Budget Director sets a schedule for departments to submit baseline budget information and proposals for either budget reductions or enhancements, as appropriate, for consideration by the Governor and compilation into a full balanced budget proposal released in the subsequent February. Before presenting budget proposals to the Governor for final approval, the State Budget Director holds internal meetings with department officials to discuss budgetary requirements and departmental proposals. A Governor-elect may be briefed on budget development information so as to be better prepared to produce a proposed budget when he or she takes office. Expenditures in the proposed budget from Michigan’s General Fund and School Aid Fund must adhere to consensus revenue estimates. Any additional proposed expenditures from those sources must be accompanied by specific proposals to generate new or additional revenue. Expenditures from other funds must balance against reasonable revenue estimates for those funds, and debt service and other fixed costs must be incorporated into the proposed budget. You can learn more about the state butget process by downloading www.house.mi.gov/hfa/PDF/Alpha/approps_process_report.pdf
Ah great, another year of car dependency, more highways, more lanes, and more entrenchment into a lifestyle incompatible with a climate transition. Old overpaid ostriches stuck in '70s-era thinking. Try putting more than single-digit percentages of those billions into public transit, ped-bike infrastructure, high speed trains, road diets, and urban freeway demolition, and then maybe you could be considered beneficial to society, rather than the hindrance to necessary progress that you currently are. The first step is a little self-reflection.
Hi there! MDOT will continue to apply the state transportation budget exactly as drafted by the Legislature and signed into law by the governor, including the levels of funding for each mode of transportation. Any changes to the yearly transportation budget would best be discussed with your state representative or senator, or the governor's office. MDOT does not set those levels. Thanks for following MDOT!
That probably wouldn't help, Radish. Not having any staff to administer federal transportation funding would put the state at risk of losing those federal dollars, which can amount to as much as 80% of a project's budget. Thanks for following MDOT!
@@MichiganDOT The year is 2060, +4°C. "Gran, what did you do to fight climate change?" -- Grandchild || "I was part of the state apparatus which directly increased emissions and increased wealth disparity." -- Future Self || "What?" -- G.C. || "I had no choice. Our hands were tied and if we tried to organize, we would have risked our federal funding." -- F.S. || "You mean the funding which you used to make things worse?" -- G.C. || "Yes." -- F.S. || "Couldn't you have done something else?" -- G.C. || "I needed to put food my table." -- F.S. || "But now we don't have enough food..." -- G.C. I wouldn't risk your job to reply. Good luck with things, though 👍
No risk at all. The men and women of MDOT will continue to follow all state and federal environmental laws, as well as all federal and state laws in general. Any changes to those laws would be best discussed with your state or US representatives or senators, as those laws all begin as draft bills that are then signed into law by either the governor or president. MDOT doesn't create any of those laws but we sure do follow them. Thanks again for following MDOT!
