While Brent Bair’s job requires dealing with some of the most modern road technology available, the marvels of ancient civilizations still amaze him.
‘I like trying to figure out how they did things in those days without modern technology. The buildings are fascinating when you see something so big built back then,? said Bair.
The same engineering background that led him to become managing director of the Road Commission for Oakland County, fuels his curiosity to travel and see the world.
Whether it be a large building or a classic piece of art like Micheangelo’s David, Bair enjoys seeing the things people only usually read about.
‘There’s so much in the world to see in the way of human achievements. I’m fascinated. The country we live in is so new compared to some other areas,? said Bair.
Bair’s penchant for travel started early in life on long trips back to visit Ohio. Originally born in Ohio, Bair moved at age four with his mother, Darthea, to Seattle while she earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing administration at the University of Washington, after his father was killed in World War II. At age 11, he moved again to Iowa City, Iowa when his mother accepted a job at the University of Iowa’s hospital system in Iowa City. Throughout his childhood, he enjoyed seeing different parts of the country on the long trek back to Ohio a couple times a year.
‘I grew up traveling. We traveled back to Ohio to visit relatives and we’d take different routes. There was a lot of traveling, I grew up liking it,? said Bair.
‘Traveling exposes you to so much. I tend to accept and understand a lot more. It makes me more curious about others things, peoples and societies.?
Bair’s travels have taken him to all 50 states and many places like Hong Kong, Japan, the Philippines, Australia, England, France, Australia Switzerland, Italy and Greece.
On a trip with his wife Linda last summer to Italy and Greece, the ancient architectural sites stood out to him. The reconstruction of the Parthenon in Greece amazed him.
In the next few years, Bair hopes to go on a trip through Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands.
Although Bair enjoys going to places out of state and overseas, he also enjoys seeing what is going on in the community.
‘On a mini-scale, I like to go on long walks whether I’m at home, in the office or visiting a city. I like to see things like houses and buildings. I like to experience new things. That’s part of growing up traveling, seeing different things,? said Bair.
In college, Bair pursued education geared around his aptitudes of science and math while attending the University of Iowa. At Iowa, Bair earned a bachelor of arts degree and a master’s degree in engineering. He also completed some course work towards a Ph.D. in civil engineering and was waiting for funding for his thesis before coming to Michigan.
He came to Michigan in July 1977, taking a job as Transportation Planning Coordinator with RCOC.
In 1983, the same year the Bairs moved to Independence Township, he became director of the Planning and Development Department. Bair was promoted to Deputy Managing Director in 1988 and appointed Managing Director in 1993.
In a career filled with accomplishments, Bair is recognized as one of the founders of the Michigan chapter of Intelligent Transportation Society of America and served as president in the past.
Bair highlighted RCOC’s program called FAST-TRAC as something he takes great pride in. FAST TRAC is RCOC’s ITS project involving the nation’s largest adaptive signal program and the largest deployment of video imaging cameras (2,000) for vehicle detection in the world.
Bair said these signals change to adjust to traffic at an intersection using video imaging cameras to detect vehicles and give more green time for certain directions based on traffic flow.
In addition to FAST TRAC, Bair also initiated the Southeastern Michigan Snow and Ice Management (SEMSIM) ITS project involving deployment of ITS equipment on the 500 winter maintenance vehicles operated by the four largest road agencies in southeast Michigan.
‘In general, being part of the RCOC has brought me a lot of satisfaction? It’s the largest road commission in the state. We have 556 employees. More importantly, we have the second largest public road system in the state. We have 2,700 miles of county roads and the only system larger than that is the state highway system which has 9,800. We have 1,100 more miles than both Macomb and Wayne counties,? said Bair.
‘We have very capable people, partially because we invested in them. Putting a lot of money in training. It’s an agency I’m very proud of.?
One of the biggest challenges facing the RCOC said Bair is road funding which comes mostly from the state collected gas tax and license plate fees.
‘We’ve ranked in the bottom ten states per capita in road funding for over 40 years. We just don’t spend money on roads. We spend it on education, health and welfare. Which is okay but our roads show it,? said Bair.
‘With the bad economy, people aren’t driving as much and don’t consume as much gas, especially if their laid off. They also don’t buy cars,? he said.
Prior to becoming RCOC’s managing director, Bair served on the Independence Township Planning Commission. Bair said he served from 1986 to 1993 and was chairman the last five years. During this time, he also served on the Zoning Board of Appeals, of which he was vice chairman for the last five years.
‘When I became managing director, my job occupied so much of my time I could not continue that volunteer effort, but I miss it,? said Bair.
‘I liked having a hand in the decision process of how the township evolved. I could drive by developments, commercial and otherwise, and say I was part of the decision that made that happen and it looks pretty good.?
The Bairs have two children and four grand children. Daughter Christine has two boys, Cody and Ciernan. Their son Brent Jr., 6 foot 10 inches who played basketball at Northern Iowa (junior college) and the University of Virginia. Brent Jr. has a son Connor and daughter Kayla. Bair also has two step-sons, Aaron and Matthew.