Why is MAC pushing so hard to get the Legislature to provide a statewide vote on a 1-cent sales tax for transportation? Take a look at the chart above, particularly the dotted portion of the green line. Trunkline roads are transportation speak for main roads. These are the roadways that carry our commerce, our schoolchildren, our work force and our emergency vehicles. If your main roads are bad, expect life to be harder all the way around. And while the vast majority of Michigan’s trunkline roads are deemed in good shape today, the trend is ominous indeed, according to the state Transportation Department. By the end of this decade, fewer than half of such roads would be in good or fair shape, if additional resources are not found. County and local road officials can work as hard as they can and be as clever as possible to stretch a dollar to fix local roads, but that work will mean much less if the major roads aren’t maintained. The MAC Board of Directors, aware of these trends, voted at the beginning of the year to have MAC staffers make the case for a 1-cent increase in the state sales tax – a penny for the roads – to generate vital new dollars. See more about the importance and condition of Michigan roads at http://milocalroads.com/ .

Learn about cutting-edge techniques in chip sealing, remote sensing and more at the 2014 Asset Management Conference on Oct. 23 at the Holiday Inn in Marquette.

“The Leading Edge of Asset Management” is the theme for conference. The goal is to provide “each attendee with examples of state of the art technology fused with practical techniques related to the application of asset management at the national, state and local levels.” It is sponsored by the Transportation Asset Management Council, of which MAC is a member.

With the road funding debate ongoing, and the upcoming winter expected to be tough,  public officials in charge of roads need all the tips and innovations they can get.

Deadline to register is Oct. 8. See the brochure for full details.