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Transit advocates urge committee to restore 10% state share for nonroad transportation funding
Summary
Public transit advocates told the House Transportation committee the transportation package under consideration leaves nonroad transit services underfunded and urged lawmakers to restore a 10 percent CTF/MTF share to support buses, senior rides and rural transportation.
Public transit advocates urged the Michigan House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to preserve or restore a statutory share of transportation revenue for nonroad services, saying the package before the committee provides too little for buses, senior transportation and rural demand‑response services.
“Public transit agencies have been able to count on a portion of the state transportation funds to enable their operations,” Megan Owens, director of Transportation Riders United, told the committee. “You have an opportunity with this package to decide how you invest in transportation.”
Advocates said the portion of state transportation funds going to nonroad services has fallen over decades. John Delmas of the Michigan Public Transit Association said state support for transit used to cover roughly half of operating needs for many providers and now covers closer to a third or less. He and others estimated a shortfall of roughly $400 million to restore more comprehensive funding levels under statutory formulas.
Earl Cox of the Amalgamated Transit Union, representing transit workers, asked the committee to allocate a full 10 percent of transportation revenues to nonroad transportation in keeping with historical formulas and to help transit agencies address staffing and service declines. “We are in support of the bills, but we'd like public transit to receive a full 10%,” Cox said, citing operator shortages and a roughly 55 percent turnover rate in his local system over five years.
Committee response: Chair Altman acknowledged public‑transit concerns and said the panel will continue to work on long‑term solutions. “Public transit is not lost from our minds,” the chair said and signaled an intent to pursue additional options in future amendments or related bills.
Context and numbers cited in testimony: witnesses told the committee that the transportation fund historically dedicated about 9–10 percent to nonroad transportation but that policy changes in 1997 and 2015 reduced that share. Transportation advocates said the package before the committee would result in roughly 1.5 percent of a $3 billion‑plus package going to nonroad transportation, based on their calculations. Advocates proposed either restoring the 10 percent share or considering revenue‑neutral bills to raise dedicated transit support.
