Local Roads Matter To business and economic development To schools To emergency response times & public safety To seniors and healthcare To families, to agriculture, to tourism To revitalization and the state’s economy To every Michigan resident. And local roads are at risk.

Local Roads at Risk Local roads and bridges are falling further into a state of disrepair as officials struggle to make ends meet amid growing demand for services and decreased revenue. If something isn’t done to remedy this now, the costs will continue to rise and the state economy will suffer.

Why Do Local Roads Matter? Good roads create and attract jobs and tell the world Michigan is open for business. Bad roads impede commerce and convey the image of a struggling state.

Why Do Local Roads Matter? Tourism, one of Michigan’s major growth industries, is negatively impacted as poor local road conditions make it difficult for tourists to reach their destinations.

They matter to schools Local roads take students to and from school each day. Busses driving around closed and weight restricted roads and bridges increase pupil transportation time and costs.

They matter to schools As local road agencies are forced to make changes to their snow removal priorities due to a lack of funding, snow days for schools increase.

They matter to the economy Manufacturing and other key sectors rely on the connectivity provided by the local road network. Corporate real estate executives rated transportation 2 nd in a survey of the top 10 considerations for expanding or locating businesses.

They matter to the economy Crumbling roads and bridges cause delays that can idle plants as trucks are required to seek alternate routes.

They matter to healthcare responders – and their patients For those in urgent need of medical care, every second counts. Prompt medical treatment is critical to patient survival after a serious health event or severe injury – the medical industry refers to this as the “golden hour” during which having treatment is crucial to survival.

They matter to healthcare responders – and their patients When roads are riddled with potholes ambulances must reduce speeds or take alternate routes impacting the quality and timeliness of patient care.

They matter in times of crisis Closed or weight restricted bridges increase emergency response times for police, fire and emergency services workers.

They matter to families Michigan residents should be able to expect safe and convenient local roads and bridges. Today they cannot.

They matter to families In a statewide survey conducted for the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association in 2011, 69 percent of citizens said the Michigan Legislature should make fixing Michigan’s roads and bridges a high priority. Michigan motorists are already paying the high price of driving on poor roads with approximately $357 annually in charges for unnecessary repairs to their vehicles.

They matter to farmers The local road network has grown into a modern road system connecting cities and villages with the rest of the state, but the agriculture industry continues to rely on the original farm-to-market routes that make up Michigan’s rural areas.

They matter to farmers Many local bridges and culverts are too narrow to accommodate the size and added weight of modern farm equipment.

They matter to farmers Crumbling roads and bridges impede the movement and trade of agricultural products and increase costs for farmers and ultimately consumers.

Michigan Local Roads Matter Michigan’s economy relies on both a vital state and local road and bridge network. Local road agencies are responsible for 90 percent of Michigan 122,000 miles of roads. All roads in Michigan need adequate funding!

Michigan Local Roads Matter Michigan Local Roads Matter is a diverse coalition of groups from across Michigan joined in recognition that the local road and bridge network is critical to business and economic development, to schools, to emergency response times and public safety, to seniors, to healthcare, to families, to agriculture, to tourism, to revitalization, to the economy, to every Michigan resident.

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