Rep. Andrea Schroeder’s plan giving local governments more flexibility to prioritize their road repair schedules was approved last week by the Michigan House.
“The roads everyone wants fixed most are the local roads at the end of their driveways,” said Schroeder, of Independence Township. “These are the roads we drive every day on the way to work, school and the grocery store.
“My plan would allow local governments to devote more resources and more attention to these community and neighborhood roads by providing more flexibility within state law.”
House Bill 4966 is part of a legislative package allowing counties, cities and villages to focus more attention on fixing the community roads residents travel every single day.
Current Michigan law requires local governments to spend 75 percent of their road funding on “primary roads,” leaving just 25 percent for “local roads.”
Schroeder’s plan would remove that restriction, giving local governments more power to fix the roads most in need of repair.
The measure now moves to the Senate for further consideration.

— Matt Mackinder