Michigan roads have been bad for a long while. We all know this. Solutions offered are typically temporary fixes that do not last long. Michigan is currently in the bottom ten states of road conditions throughout the nation, according to US News. The director of Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) stated that $1.5 billion needed to be added to the annual road funding in Michigan in order for 90% of state-maintained roads to be of good quality or better by 2031. Not only is more money needed than what is already being spent, but less money is going into the roads with every passing year. According to Tax Foundation, fuel-efficient and electric cars are taking a toll on the amount of funds generated for roads, and the pandemic has caused road traffic to decrease by 38%. An increase in funding is needed to even upkeep the current conditions of the roads, let alone improve them. 

But how is the state going to raise the money in order to do this?

The  answer to this question lies in gasoline taxes. Governor Gretchen Whitmer has proposed a 45¢ gas tax increase, which would raise $2.5 billion a year in funds. These funds would most definitely help fix the roads in Michigan and is estimated to get 90% of roads in good condition as soon as 2029, according to MLive. Increasing the gas tax would definitely be a long-term solution to fixing Michigan roads, and can get roads fixed faster than initial estimates. 

Please consider signing this petition to show support for this gas tax. Bad roads aren't magically going to be fixed without proper funding, and they need to be fixed sooner rather than later.