Comments from Drive MI visitors

Please fix VanDyke from 15 Mile to Hall Road.Last year workers were moving at lightning speed fixing VanDyke from 8 Mile to 15. Every night lanes were shut down and it was amazing how much they accomplished each night. I could hardly wait to go to work so I could see what had been done during the night. Then all of a sudden work came to a screeching halt. The worst part of VanDyke was left to fall apart even more. I drive on VanDyke to work from just North of Plumbrook almost to Jefferson Ave. The random patching that has been done in the last few weeks merely puts loose material heaped up in a hole for cars to drive over. So most of the mess winds up on my windshield or on my undercairrage. So within a few days the holes are back worse than before because now all that repair material is everywhere being shot through the air by cars and trucks.

--Sandra Phillips, Sterling Heights

I can't believe the Governor is wanting to spend billions on windmills when no business in their right mind would come to a state with such pathetic roads. Lets get back to basics and fix our roads.

--Fred Akers, Lansing

I have been in this city for a good 25 years I have seen potholes every year but this year it was terrible. I will give you some examples: Livernois & Long Lake, John R south of long lake, Crooks & Sq Lake Rd, Crooks Rd south of Big beaver and on and on. I almost had an accident. Thank you

--Dilli Thapa, Troy

Our government should be embarrassed!!! If my home was in the condition of this state, I would be totally embarrassed to have people over. Shame on you Gov. Granholm!

--Sally A. Lamb, Fennville

campground road is one mile west of van dyke and runs north/south. the road is horrible much of the year, but right now it is something else. if you have traffic comming at you, you need to make a plan fast. there is no edge of the road. it goes up 2 feet on one side and down 2 feet on the other side. its not wide enough for a garbage truck and my car. and they don\'t care where you drive because the truck is big and its going to drive in the center of the road no matter what. the potholes are big and long and the water runs like a river down or up the road. it washes the road away and if that\'s not enough, just remember its a natural beauty road. i\'ll be walking the road instead of driving soon. my car may fall apart, but i\'ll save lots because i won\'t need gas!!!!!

--mary jo pallister, washington, mi

North Main St. is so bad with all of the potholes. The bad thing is it runs right next to the river and someone who isn't from this area and is speeding down this road may just end up in the river. Some of these potholes are a foot deep!!

--Liz Hodges, Chesaning

I'm very concerned about the roads where I live in the greater Lansing area. There are so many potholes. I don't think I've ever seen our roads this bad. Pennsylvania Street between Mt Hope and Jolly in Lansing has not only potholes, but ruts near Ingham Regional hospital branch. Help!!!

--Bruce, Bishop

The holes at the train tracks on Ladd Rd are atrocious. Not only do they suck your tires in they also suck the axle in as well. I wouldn't be a bit surprised to hear that the train derailed there as a result of these holes. They are bad enough that even the big semis that hit them get sucked down into them.

--Deanna Dale, Walled Lake

DRIVING HOME TODAY I MET MY MATCH FOR A POTHOLE. I DIDN'T NOTICE IT UNTIL I WAS ALMOST ON TOP OF IT BECAUSE IT WAS ALMOST DARK AND THE POTHOLE WAS FILLED WITH WATER. AS I APPROACHED IT, I TRIED TO SWERVE BUT STILL HIT IT, NOT TO MENTION IT TOOK UP ALMOST HALF MY SIDE OF THE ROAD. AS SOON AS I HIT IT, I HEARD MY TIRE POP! AS I PULLED OVER TO ADDRESS MY NOW FLAT TIRE DUE TO THE HUGE POTHOLE, MY CAR STARTED SMOKING. THAT IS A LOT OF MONEY JUST BECAUSE THE CITY HASN'T FIXED MOST OF THE POTHOLES ON E. GANSON STREET.

--ABBEY CAPLES, jackson

On Ridgewood Street (approximately 130 Ridgewood Street) there is a series of potholes On Ridgewood Street (approximately 130 Ridgewood Street) there is a series of potholes spreading across the entire road. I hit this 2 days ago and yesterday found that hitting it had bent the rim and pinched a hole in my front drivers tire. I'm sure I wont be the last, seeing as there is no way to avoid it.

--Rasma McMullen, Kalamazoo

I-94 from Sprinkle road entrance (west bound) to Portage road entrance ramp. Were ever you drive there is a large car eating hole,tire eater also.

--john esman, kalamazoo

Ottawa county, Nunica area(49448) the road called Apple Dr. from Nunica, to Fruitport,approx. 6-7 miles of pure horror.
This has got to be one of the worst roads in the state, and I am not talking about a dirt road, this is cement, but probably as old as dirt.
Travelled by many cars and trailered trucks, this is very poor and very dangerous. The bridge on this road over I-96, in my opinon is falling apart, at times makes me nervous to drive on.

--Bruce, Nunica

The roads near my house and Reeths-Puffer High School are terrible. Especially Roberts road in front of the school. Holes cover probably about 70% of the road and many of the smaller roads such as Logan road which are connected to Roberts are also terrible. Both roads should be completely repaved. They've been filling and refilling for so long they could have just repaved and saved some time and redone the roads. The RP school district roads are in general pretty bad and could defiantly use some help.

--Erin , Muskegon

Last night I drove back from Holland, Michigan to the Chicago suburbs after attending a visitation for our friend's deceased grandfather. I was shocked by the lack of painted yellow and white lines on I-196 and I-94 (on the side of the lanes and dividing the lanes).

In the darkness and rain I literally could not see my lane. It was insane, and exhausting driving! How glad I was when I crossed into Indiana! What a relief--they repaint the lines as needed.

Someone is making things very dangerous in Michigan. It is plainly unsafe! And quite ridiculous.

--Todd,

We live on Comstock Ave. in Newaygo County. Our road has been really bad for a year or two now. They keep filling the holes, but as soon as it rains or snows the holes are emptoed out. It's bad from 4 mile to 11 mile on Comstock Ave. And there plenty of other roads just as bad.

--Roberta, Newaygo County

I travel quite a bit and have noticed other states have much better roads than Michigan. Why are our roads so bad?

--Cami Gillette, Saranac, MI

Response:   Road and bridge work that occurs each year is often not the complete reconstruction that is needed to fix the real problem. Rather, it is much more likely to be short-term maintenance and repairs - quick fixes to address long-term problems.

The recently-released TRIP report gave our roads and bridges a D letter grade. For years, state policymakers have not adequately invested in our state's transportation system.

TRIP estimates that Michigan faces a $700 million annual shortfall in funding for the state trunk line system. This figure does not even include the additional needs for local roads.

Are roads receiving a windfall of money from the high gas prices?

--Joyce Liscio, Okemos, MI

Response:   No. Road revenues actually go down as prices increase.

In Michigan, drivers pay a state gasoline tax of 19 cents per gallon, regardless of the per-gallon price fluctuations. Drivers often cut back on their gas consumption as prices increase, thus lowering the state's gas tax revenues.

Drivers paid an increase in gas taxes in the mid 1990s. Why wasn’t that enough?

--Dale Willis, Perry, MI

Response:   The main revenue source for roads is the state gas tax. Drivers pay 19 cents a gallon no matter what the cost of gas. As a result, there is no natural revenue increases to offset the rising cost of inflation. Since 1998, inflation has risen at almost twice the rate of our gas tax revenues, only compounding our problems with deteriorating roads.

State law puts the responsibility on state policymakers to raise the gas tax for even inflationary increases. Unfortunately, they haven't lived up to their responsibilities, increasing the gas tax only once in the last 20 years.