Talking Michigan Transportation

Just before the U.S. Senate recessed at the end of September, leaders of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee and the Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) Committee introduced what is being called the most comprehensive permitting bill to date, the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act (BAAJA). The committee chairs and ranking members held a joint news conference announcing the long-awaited deal.
On this week’s Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, Zach Rable, federal policy specialist at the Michigan Department of Transportation, speaks to the highlights and challenges in the legislation and the expected difficulty of reconciling it with House priorities.
BAAJA makes procedural changes to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the National Historic Preservation Act, and regulations around electricity transmission, which reflect significant increased demands on the grid. That provision mentions data centers, including those used for artificial intelligence, which are adding large new demands to the grid. 
Proponents say the bill aims to keep other customers from paying for the grid infrastructure upgrades they require. This section shares some principles found in the bipartisan, bicameral Ratepayer Protection Act that passed the House (H.R. 9340).
Analysts at the Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC) have outlined what they see as BAAJA’s positives and negatives.

This week’s edition of the Talking Michigan Transportation podcast is an encore of a previous discussion about the vital need for driver attention in work zones following the death of a county worker last week in Eaton County.
Police pointed to this incident as part of a rising, preventable trend of distracted driving and speeding where road crews are working. Michigan State Police Lt. Rene Gonzalez told media outlets, "This was no mistake; it was a preventable crash," urging all motorists to remain entirely focused, reduce their speed and give crews the safe clearance they need to do their jobs.
While authorities continue to emphasize driver responsibility and the need for extra vigilance when driving where work is going on, the reprised podcast with Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) Chief Operations Officer Gregg Brunner also touches on advancements in technology to protect workers and drivers.

On this week’s edition of the Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, a look at the regulatory challenges presented by an increasing number of electric bikes (e-bikes) on roads, sidewalks and trails. Several bills have been introduced recently to further regulate the bikes.
Tim Gates, a professor in civil and environmental engineering at Michigan State University who has researched the topic, offers his insights.
Federal law defines e-bikes as bicycles if they have a motor less than 750 watts and a speed limit of 20 mph. However, state laws vary, with some requiring registration, helmets or restricted usage in specific areas.
Under Michigan law (MCL 257.13e), an e-bike has:
A seat or saddle
Fully operable pedals
An electric motor of 750 watts or less
An e-bike that meets these standards is treated like a bicycle. You don’t need a license, registration or insurance to ride one.
Michigan’s 2017 e-bike law sorts e-bikes into three classes, which set the top assisted speed and whether the bike can use a throttle.
Class 1: The motor helps only while you pedal, up to 20 mph.
Class 2: The motor can also run on a throttle, up to 20 mph.
Class 3: The motor helps only while you pedal, up to 28 mph.
Additionally, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) has approved class 1 and class 2 (for mobility only) e-bikes on select DNR-managed trails. That expansion followed months of collaborative research and discussion with trail users and organizations.

This week’s edition of the Talking Michigan Transportation podcast features conversations with two people instrumental in a project to restore the rapids to the Grand River in Grand Rapids.
First, Matt Chapman, executive director of Grand Rapids Whitewater, talks about the history of the river (Michigan’s longest at 252 miles), why dams were installed and the why the rapids were cleared in the first place. He also talks about the unique opportunity to provide benefits to the environment, wildlife habitat and recreational opportunities in a river that falls 18 feet within the city of Grand Rapids. 
Later, former Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss, long a champion of the project, shares her recollections of 18 years of work to move the project forward and why it was so important to her. She touts the economic benefits as well as the river’s role as a connector rather than a divider in the city.  
Bliss also talks about the spiritual significance of the Owashtanong to the first inhabitants of the city.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has declared this week, Sept. 21-25, as National Roundabouts Week. The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has installed roundabouts at various intersections, when appropriate, for several years.
On this week’s edition of the Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, a conversation with MDOT Engineer of Traffic Safety Garrett Dawe about the life-saving benefits of roundabouts.
According to the FHWA, roundabouts reduce intersection crashes resulting in death or injury by an average of 82 percent. They also reduce traffic delays by 62 to 74 percent while often costing less than traditional signalized intersections over their lifespan due to lower maintenance and operational requirements.
Several cities across Michigan and in several other states have been aggressive about installing roundabouts. One in Indiana, in particular, is considered the roundabout capital of the United States.