Change Your World Week Winter 2022 (Archived)

Let's get straight to the point, Bay City roads are terrible. Bay City, Michigan, is a city with lots of special events and tourist attractions for the public to go and see. Some examples are The Bay County Fair, The Friendship Shell, The St. Patrick's Day Race, The Bay County Music Festival, The Planetarium, etc. One of the main reasons why many people from outside of Bay City don't come to any of these special events is because of the poor road conditions. The road conditions put a tarnish on Bay City's name. Even the worldwide famous singer Madonna, who was born in Bay City, described the city as a "smelly little town" in an interview years ago. In a recent engineering study, approximately 87% of Bay City roads are considered to be in "poor" condition, and only 1% are considered to be in "good" condition. Funding the repairs of the roadways is the key issue, there is not enough money being focused into this specific infrastructure field. 

Using a simple formula, the actual amount of money allocated to each county can be calculated. The breakdown of the funds going into each area helps to display the amount that each individual county is working with. The chart below shows the percentages of the Michigan Transportation Fund and how it was distributed in 2017. There are many factors that come into play, such as the amount given per rural population or the number of primary roads.

There are some Michiganders who would oppose the push to Bay City road repair, and for valid reasons. Foremost is the is the hefty 45-cent gas tax proposed by Governor Whitmer, and quickly opposed by 3 in 4 citizens, according to a government poll at the time. The current gas tax is around 27 cents. There is also the fact that Bay City does not have the worst roads in the state. According to the Michigan Transportation Asset Management Council, counties like Manistee and Cheboygan have the highest proportion of roads in poor condition. Some would argue that counties like these deserve priority from any funding. Others simply don't care about the roads at all. However, change has to start somewhere, and we believe starting with Bay City is a better choice, for its value in tourism and local businesses.

Business owners in the city could pose other objections. Tourism and shopping are key staples in the economy of the Bay City area. All within the same downtown area are the Delta College Planetarium, Wenonah Park, United States Postal Service, and over a dozen waterfront hotels, shops, and restaurants. Crews working on all of the interweaving roads would congest traffic and outright block off certain businesses until the road construction is finished. If the road construction stretched into the tourism season, it could cause trouble for local businesses, in the downtown area alone. However, we believe that better roads will help tourism in the long run.

The foremost people affected are the residents and the local business owners of Bay City by making commuting easier and safer, also directly affecting the tourists and visitors traveling through. It will create work for the local road commission, and potentially jobs if the project expands to other areas. The completed Bay City project has the potential to inspire other communities into action and spread influence of the project to other areas of Michigan.

The first organization of power is the Bay City road commission. As the people directly overseeing the state of the roads, these are the first people to reach. There are also the political spheres of power, like Bay City Mayor Kathleen Newsham, who could likely secure reelection by supporting this project. Governor Gretchen Whitmer would also gain a useful mascot for her campaign to “Fix the Damn Roads!”, which has remained mostly stagnant thus far. These politicians have the power to move funds, and will mainly focus on the issues their voter base finds important. If they see the residents of Bay City coming together on the road issue, they are very likely to support them.

What are people saying about the issue from both sides?

Unfortunately, there is no simple solution to the road issue. Most policies in place currently only deal with public statements and financial information. There are plenty of people who would argue that the road conditions are not as bad as the numbers say. As well as some people in the area that simply do not mind the poor road conditions. Small businesses and other buildings of interest may even prefer that the roads not be fixed as the construction could last for a lengthy period of time and block access to their location. While these people are a part of the community too and their opinion must be respected, the majority are in favor of better road conditions. According to a recent study, Michigan drivers will, on average, pay anywhere from $400 - $800 in vehicle servicing/repairs due to road conditions. This number is increasing each year while repairs are not being made to roads in major metro areas.

That being said, the answer is quite straightforward, there is an overall lack of funding in the state to improve road conditions. The main source of income as of now is a tax on gasoline that was passed in 1997. While this may seem like it should be enough, fixing a road can be pricey. Just resurfacing a standard two-lane road for a one-mile stretch is around $88,000. It may seem like there are an overwhelming amount of problems to overcome, but there is good news as well, we are the only ones who can actually make a difference. 

It is up to everyone in the community to come together, discuss the issue and focus on a certain area, then make an action plan. Raising money as an entire community is much easier to accomplish than when you are alone. If we gain enough support by spreading awareness and showing others how bad the conditions are, then we can move forward with our goals and start making a difference, one road at a time.

If you have driven through an area in or around Bay City and had to swerve to avoid potholes, chunks of pavement, or even knocked over construction signs that have been there for months now, then make a statement. The following link will direct you to a petition you can sign on Change.org to push for Bay City Roads to be Fixed.

FAQ's. Bay County Road Commission. (2016, April 13). Retrieved March 13, 2022, from https://www.baycoroad.org/faqs  

87% Of Bay City Roads Considered “Poor” In Recent Engineering Study. Antonio, Ric. (2021, April 21). Retrieved March 31,2022, from 87% of Bay City Roads Considered "Poor" in Recent Engineering Study - WSGW 790 AM & 100.5 FM

"Whitmer Signals Likely Veto on Michigan Gas Tax Holiday." www.bridgmi.com, Bridge Michigan, 11 Mar. 2022, https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/whitmer-signals-likely-veto-michigan-gas-tax-holiday.

Baldassari, Erin. “Report: Bad Roads, Public Transit Top List of Bay Area's Most-Needed Transportation Projects.” The Mercury News, The Mercury News, 22 Sept. 2016, https://www.mercurynews.com/2016/05/11/report-bad-roads-public-transit-top-list-of-bay-areas-most-needed-transportation-projects/.

Barber, Barrie. “Great Lakes Bay Region State Lawmakers Cautious about Toll Roads in Michigan.” Mlive, 28 Feb. 2010, https://www.mlive.com/news/saginaw/2010/02/great_lakes_bay_region_state_l.html.

Bay City, MI, https://www.baycitymi.org/197/Economic-Development.

Bad roads cost Michigan drivers average of $648 a year in additional vehicle expenses, study says. mlive. (2019, March 12). Retrieved April 3, 2022, from https://www.mlive.com/news/2019/03/bad-roads-cost-michigan-drivers-average-of-648-a-year-in-additional-vehicle-expenses-study-says.html

Christopher C. Douglas, P. D. (n.d.). How road funding works in Michigan. Mackinac Center. Retrieved April 3, 2022, from https://www.mackinac.org/25863