Pothole Pandemonium! Michigan Roads Are Costing Residents Billions

No, that's not a newly-discovered meteor crater 🌠🚀. It's just another car-sized pothole in Michigan. How bad is it? A recent study by an organization called TRIP revealed the poor road conditions cost households $19 billion in auto accidents, repairs, and traffic congestion in 2021🚦. 

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That works out to be around $4,845 per household. Major yikes 🚨. 

Here’s Five Fast Facts on the situation:

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1. 🚧 Well, That Escalated Quickly: Without adequate funding, roads will continue to deteriorate, raising the cost to $25 billion over the next ten years. That works out to an additional $1,500 per household.
2. 💲 Short Changed: Gov. Witmer's Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act went into effect in 2019. It provides Michigan with an additional $9 billion for road rehab projects between 2022 and 2026, but it might not be enough. 
3. 📈 Staggering Sums: TRIP estimates that a 200% increase in current funding is what's needed to fix the problem.
4. 👎 Total Flop: In 2019, Witmer also proposed a fuel tax increase of $.45 per gallon to "fix the damn roads''. It died because many on both sides of the aisle called the idea too extreme.
5. 🚩 The Grim Reality: Without intervention, the report predicts that traffic-related fatalities would increase from 1,083 in 2020 to 1,113 in 2031. 

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🔥Bottom line: This issue is a sinkhole that just won't quit. More than two thirds of the roads in Michigan have a rating of poor or fair. The solution will most likely require bipartisan cooperation and a ton of creative brainstorming. 

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Have you encountered any car-sized potholes on your commute? Let us know by connecting with us on Social Media and be sure to share this newsletter with any friends & coworkers!

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