(WXYZ) — Governor Gretchen Whitmer is proposing a 45-cent per gallon gas tax increase to fix the roads. The American Society of Civil Engineers grades the infrastructure in the states and gives Michigan roads a D-. While a direct comparison with other states is not exact, roads in Illinois and Indiana get a D, and in Ohio and Pennsylvania roads get a grade of D+.
“Michigan has not invested in them (roads) for the past 40 years," said Ron Brenke, executive director of ASCE in Michigan, in a Skype interview with Action News. "Let me be clear, other states have very similar problems as we do. Our infrastructure across the country is in need of repair. But I think most people when they drive into Indiana or Ohio, you see better roads there and that’s because they’ve invested more in their transportation system. Ohio invests a billion dollars more a year on their roads.”
The Society in its 2018 Report says Michigan needs to spend $1 billion on just freeways and $600 million on state roads and another $600 million on local roads. Brenke says it doesn’t matter where the money comes from, a gas tax or other taxes, but Michigan needs political leaders to get it done.
“The overall condition continues to decline and will continue to decline if we don’t do anything more than we’re doing right now,” Brenke said.
