Tell us how YOU would fix Michigan’s roads

Tell us how the state should fix this pothole at our April event series.

by Bridge Staff

How would YOU fix Michigan’s roads?

Every Michigander seemingly has an answer for this. Maybe you want lower weight limits on trucks, more durable road construction material, a different method for state funding, perhaps by instituting toll roads.

Whatever you have to say, The Center for Michigan wants to hear it!

REGISTER TODAY for one of three events this April during our Solutions Summit series, "Fixing Michigan's Road Mess."

Michiganders are the ones who drive on our roads every day. It’s your commute. Your time. Your taxes. Your vehicle repair bills. Your voice should be heard during this roads debate.

These free morning Summits will be hosted by the Center, in partnership with local organizations in Detroit, Lansing and Grand Rapids.

You will have the opportunity to learn more about roads and how they’re funded from panels of experts and local leaders. Then Alexandra Schmidt, the Center for Michigan’s Public Engagement Director, will facilitate a guided audience session that will seek your input and questions. Your thoughts will then be included in the Center’s spring 2019 Citizen’s Agenda, a report that will be delivered directly to every House and Senate member in Lansing.

If you are unable to attend any of the conferences listed below, your voice will still be heard! The Center will livestream the events’ expert panels on Bridge Magazine’s Facebook page as internet connectivity permits. You can provide your input anywhere, anytime with our online road survey - coming soon! (Bridge readers will receive the survey directly in their inbox, so subscribe today if you would like to be notified when this is available.)

Here is where you will have the chance to participate in person:

Detroit, April 11th, 9 to 11 am

In partnership with Crain’s Detroit Business, this Roads Solutions Summit will take place on the fifth floor of the Madison building near Comerica Park, located at 1555 Broadway St, Detroit, MI 48226. Public parking only, doors will open at 8:30 a.m. Tickets are complimentary, coffee and pastries will be provided.

Crain’s senior reporter Chad Livengood will deliver the opening remarks, and Bridge Magazine’s Chastity Pratt Dawsey will moderate the panels. Speakers will be announced, stay tuned! Grab your ticket at Eventbrite.

Lansing, April 18th, 9 to 11 am

In partnership with Public Sector Consultants, this Road Solutions Summit will take place in the Governor’s Room at the Lansing Center, 333 E Michigan Ave, Lansing, MI 48933. Paid parking is available onsite. Doors will open at 8:30 a.m. Attendance is free, coffee and pastries will be provided.

Bridge Magazine’s Capitol Watchdog reporters Lindsay VanHulle and Riley Beggin will moderate the day’s panels. Tickets are available at Eventbrite. Speakers include:

• Andy Shor, Mayor of Lansing
• Mike Nystrom, Executive Vice President of the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association
• Dan Gilmartin, Executive Director and CEO of the Michigan Municipal League
• Jeff Yaroch, State Representative for District 33
• Bob Emerson, former Senate Minority Leader, co-head of the Michigan Consensus Policy Project
• Jeff Guilfoyle, Chief Deputy Treasurer for the State of Michigan
• Julie Metty-Bennett, Senior Vice President, Public Sector Consultants

Grand Rapids, April 25th, 9 to 11 am

In partnership with the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce, this Roads Solutions Summit will take place at the Chamber’s office, 250 Monroe Ave NW suite 150, Grand Rapids, MI 49503. Public parking only, doors will open at 8:30 a.m. This is a free event, coffee and pastries will be provided.

John Bebow, Center for Michigan President and CEO, and Andy Johnston, the Chamber’s Vice President of Government & Corporate Affairs, will moderate the day’s panels. You can get a ticket on Eventbrite. Speakers include:

• Stephen Kepley, Mayor of Kentwood
• Ken Sikkema, former Senate Majority Leader and Senior Policy Fellow at Public Sector Consultants
• Joanna Johnson, chair of the Michigan Transportation Asset Management Council
• Eric DeLong, Grand Rapids Assistant City Manager
• Jeff Cranson, Director of Communications at MDOT

This is the 8th statewide public engagement campaign hosted by The Center for Michigan. The Center is a nonpartisan nonprofit which works to engage with at least 5,000 residents every year to identify resident priorities for the state legislature and amplify those views to state leaders.

Over 50,000 Michigan residents have taken part in the Center’s campaigns. Resident voices in past campaigns have convinced the legislature to, for example, increase funding for pre-K education, cut corrections spending, invest more deeply in Pure Michigan, and more. Bridge Michigan is a journalism project of the Center for Michigan.

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.