A bill signed by the state's governor, Gretchen Whitmer, allocates billions in federal and state funding to water quality, roads and dams, broadband, and other infrastructure projects.
"Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a bill in Grand Rapids on Wednesday that uses billions of dollars in federal funds to improve state drinking water, sewers, parks, roads, dams and internet service, while helping renters and homeowners financially harmed by the COVID-19 pandemic," according to an article by Paul Egan in the Detroit Free Press.
The $4.7 billion bill relies largely on federal funding, with $572 coming from the state's general fund.
Egan details the projects funded by the bill, including $1.8 billion allocated to drinking water quality projects, as well as:
- "Nearly $383 million in emergency rental assistance to support low-income renters who have experienced financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic."
- "Nearly $317 million for road and bridge projects, of which about $238 million is for state projects and $79 million is for local ones."
- "Just over $250 million to improve high-speed broadband service in underserved areas."
- "$250 million to improve and maintain state parks, recreation areas, and state-designated trails around the state, plus another $200 million for local parks and trails in Detroit, Grand Rapids and northern Michigan."
Of the nearly $5 billion in total investment, the bill includes just $66.2 million for public transportation projects.
FULL STORY: Whitmer signs $4.7 billion bill to improve Michigan infrastructure, housing security
Quantifying the Impact of Pandemic Housing Assistance
The massive federal injection of funding into housing programs has had major impacts on many Americans’ ability to stay housed and out of debt, but fears loom as the end of some funding sources nears.
New Los Angeles Rent Relief Program Targets Pandemic Debt
The program prioritizes the lowest-income tenants who accrued debt during the early part of the pandemic.
Emergency Assistance Has Helped Renters, but Hurdles Remain
Research shows pandemic rent relief programs made a significant difference for struggling renters.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
New Jersey’s second-largest city bans standalone data centers
Jersey City will continue to allow co-location facilities, such as those meant for research institutions that store their own data.
Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.
Phoenix announces new on-demand transit service, more frequent RAPID buses
Both new services will launch in October, and are part of Phoenix's Project Effective Access Solutions for Easing Congestion.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association