 Dear Friend,
This summer, across Michigan, we are moving dirt and fixing the damn roads to grow our economy, help Michiganders get to work, drop their kids off at school, and run errands safely. By the end of this construction season, we will have fixed, repaired, or replaced nearly 24,500 lane miles of roads and 1,900 bridges, supporting thousands of good-paying, local jobs.
I’m proud of the progress we’ve made, but the five-year, $3.5 billion Rebuilding Michigan plan I launched in 2020 to fix our busiest and most economically critical roads and bridges will be ending soon. We need a sustainable, long-term solution that goes further by also fixing our local roads.
This summer, let’s build on our momentum to pass a bipartisan local road funding plan, so we can keep fixing our damn roads and creating good-paying, local jobs.
Right now, not all of the revenue collected by the gas tax you pay at the pump goes towards fixing our roads. It should. Speaker Hall agrees that every penny drivers pay at the pump should go towards the roads. And we both agree that we can cut red tape to find savings. I’ll keep working with Republicans and Democrats in the legislature on a bipartisan road plan to fix the damn roads without slashing vital funding for public schools, safety, or health, or forcing commuters to pay more.
I look forward to working with Speaker Hall, Majority Leader Brinks, and others in the state legislature to get this done before the summer. If your local roads need fixing or you want to help us finish the job of fixing Michigan’s roads, I urge you to make your voice heard and to contact your representatives in Lansing—see below.
Let’s work together and get it done.
Sincerely,
 Gretchen Whitmer
Governor
 Why Are Michigan Roads in Such Bad Shape?
Before I took office, years of underinvestment left our roads in disrepair. In the late 90s, Governor Engler raised the gas tax, but it was short of what the business community and both parties in the legislature knew we needed to solve the problem. By 2007, road conditions briefly improved, but by 2012, they had deteriorated once again. Of the $2.85 billion raised between 1997 and 2012, only 17% went to major road and bridge repairs. In 2015, Governor Snyder passed a $1.2 billion funding package—what he called a “down payment” to begin addressing the gap.
In 2018, I ran to finish the job and fix the damn roads. People across Michigan want certainty that they can use our roads to get to work, drop their kids off at school, and run errands without popping a tire or cracking their windshield. And they want certainty that the repairs we are making will last for decades, instead of just being temporary fixes.
To do this right, we’ll all have to recognize some hard truths.
- We’re working to counteract years of underinvestment and patching potholes that have left our roads in disrepair. Instead of just replacing the top layer of road, we have to continue completely rebuilding our roads with the right mix and materials, so they are built to last.
- As I’ve told my Republican and Democratic colleagues in the state legislature, fixing the roads for the long run means looking for new, fair sources of revenue without slashing vital funding for public schools, safety, or health.
- At the same time, cuts will need to be part of the solution. And we can't put this all on the backs of the middle class, forcing commuters to pay more.
- Our repairs must go beyond busy highways and bridges and fix critical local roads, too.
Earlier this year, I introduced the MI Road Ahead Plan, which proposes $3 billion in investments to tackle road repairs, reduce car repair costs, and improve safety across the state. It starts by ensuring that every dollar paid by drivers at the pump goes toward fixing the roads. This plan includes more than $1 billion for local roads, ensuring neighborhoods get the support they need to fix their streets.
I urge Republicans and Democrats to work together to come up with a road plan that will finish fixing all the damn roads. I look forward to working with Speaker Hall, Majority Leader Brinks, and others in the state legislature to find a commonsense solution that will keep fixing our roads. Both parties will have to compromise to get this done right, and that’s the way it ought to be.
To get in touch with your representatives in Lansing, make your voices heard, and stay up to date on legislative activity, please check out the links below.
Team Michigan! New Social Media Account
I am excited to introduce the new social media account, @TeamMichiganGov, on Instagram and Facebook, dedicated to keeping Michiganders informed and engaged with how my staff is working to serve Michiganders.
This account will provide real-time updates on the work of my staff, including the Constituent Services Division (CSD) and the Office of Constituent Engagement (OCE).
From highlighting members of our communities across the state to sharing an inside look at the progress we’re making to move Michigan forward, @TeamMichiganGov will offer a direct line of communication with the Governor's office, fostering an open and transparent connection.
Follow @TeamMichiganGov on Instagram or Facebook today and stay connected!
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