MDOT has released its 2007-2011 five year plan. As an initial note, many, although officially titled the "Michigan Department of Transportation," MDOT should more accurately be referred to as MDORB, or "Michigan Department of Road Building." Although former Director Gloria Jeff, now the head of transportation in Los Angeles, took some steps to broaden MDOT's focus to include other modes of transportation, in the opinion of some, she was forced out of her position at MDOT at the behest of the Michigan road builders lobby.
The focus of MDOT remains firmly entrenched in road building. Of the approximately 8.9 billion (with a "b") budgeted by MDOT for the 2007-2001 period, a whopping $100 million, or 1.1% is budgeted for rail transportation. Even worse, that $100 million is mainly focused on freight transportation, and not passenger transportation.
I will endeavor to link or upload the .pdf of the 5 year plan on the companion website to this blog, Michigan Transportation, in the near future. Obviously, the website remains a work in process.
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