Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Michigan

GOP Gov Rick Snyder Has a Plan to Expand Michigan Transit — and Pay For It

It's common knowledge that the gas tax is too low to pay for transportation infrastructure needs. But nobody's holding their breath for Washington to solve the problem. If you're looking for leadership on transportation, maybe the better place to look these days is Michigan.

Transportation for America and the Detroit Free Press are reporting that Michigan's Republican governor, Rick Snyder, has laid out a vision for expanded transit -- and he's got a plan to finance it as well.

Snyder is calling on the state legislature to approve a proposal that would allow local municipalities to raise their vehicle licensing fee to a rate between $40 and $120, depending on the vehicle. That could raise between $300 million and $1 billion for infrastructure and transit projects in the Wolverine State.

In addition, the governor has put forward a plan that would restructure the state's gas tax as a percentage of the price of fuel.

The governor hopes to use some of the revenues to expand bus rapid transit in coordination with Detroit's planned Woodward light rail corridor, according to T4A.

Transportation reform is a important priority, not so much a partisan issue, for officials across the state of Michigan, explained Matt Bach, a spokesman for the Michigan Municipal League. But reporters at the Free Press still questioned whether the state's Republican legislators would get behind the plan.

"For almost 50 years the state of Michigan was sort of seen as the forerunner of the whole transportation system with our interstate system," Bach told Streetsblog.

Now the state's transportation system is outdated, repelling talent, businesses, and investors from Michigan. Transit improvements, particularly, "would create thousands of jobs, generate billions of dollars in new private sector investments, and help create the types of urban centers where young, talented, creative, college-educated people want to live, work and raise families," the League stated in a press release.

League President Karen Majewski -- mayor of the small city called Hamtramck that is surrounded by the city of Detroit -- joined others in praising the news.

“In a community like Hamtramck, it’s highly important to have regional mass transit options as part of an economic development strategy,” she said. “The local option aspect to this plan would allow our communities to identify and develop transportation options that will fit their needs, encourage economic growth, and attract and retain knowledge-based workers who demand this as part of their lifestyle.”

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

BIG ZERO: Trump Stiffs NYC Transit System in ‘Sanctuary City’ Tantrum

The federal government is denying the MTA tens of millions of dollars in public safety funding over of New York's immigration policies.

September 30, 2025

More Transit Means Safer Streets

Promoting transit isn't just a social good. It's also a tool to achieve Vision Zero.

September 30, 2025

DATA: Not Paying Fines? Keep Speeding, Says New York City

It's yet another case of "anything goes" for drivers in Adams's New York.

September 30, 2025

Tuesday’s Headlines Pay Through the Nose

Why does a bus cost Cincinnati $937,000, while Singapore spends $333,000? David Zipper has the answer.

September 30, 2025

Newsom Names GM CEO Mary Barra as Villain in Fight with Feds over Air Quality

Car company executives make good rhetorical foils. But they can't be held responsible for the state's shortcomings.

September 29, 2025

Monday’s Headlines Go on Offense

The "defensive driving" they teach in driver's ed has now turned into "defensive walking," and one car website has had it with victim-blaming.

September 29, 2025
See all posts