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PODCAST

Talking Michigan Transportation

Michigan Department of Transportation

The Talking Michigan Transportation podcast features conversations with transportation experts inside and outside MDOT and will touch on anything and everything related to mobility, including rail, transit and the development of connected and automated vehicles.

government

All Episodes

27:43

Reprise: Focusing on the work force as we enter a new...

Talking Michigan Transportation ·

2026/02/26

As road agencies across the state prepare for the 2026 road and bridge construction season, this week’s Talking Michigan Transportation podcast is a reprise of an August 2025 episode that focused on jobs tied to road and bridge building. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer sent a letter Aug. 7, 2025, to the directors of the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO), calling on them to compile and publicly release data on the impact of t...

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33:31

Paying by the miles driven - where things stand

Talking Michigan Transportation ·

2026/02/19

On this week’s episode of the Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, conversations about Michigan’s study and eventual pilot of a road user charge (RUC) system of funding roads and bridges and what is going on in other states and countries. First, Barbara Rohde, executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based Mileage-Based User Fee Alliance (MBUFA), talks about her organization’s history and their work. Rohde also talks about her conversations on the issue with members of Congress about th...

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23:57

MDOT’s new chief administrative officer takes on a...

Talking Michigan Transportation ·

2026/01/29

On this week’s Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, a conversation with the new chief administrative officer at the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) about his role and his first big challenge, overseeing a legislatively mandated study and pilot of a road user charge (RUC) program. Paul McDonald joined the department in November, coming from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE). He talks about his perceptions of transportation coming into the de...

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29:29

Polar vortex, winter storms test driver responsibility

Talking Michigan Transportation ·

2026/01/22

On this week’s edition of the Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, conversations about the vital message to drive to the conditions, especially during winter storms. First, Michigan State Police 1st Lt. Michael Shaw offers his insights on the causes of multi-vehicle crashes like the one that occurred between Hudsonville and Zeeland in Ottawa County on I-196 Monday, Jan. 19. Later, Bruce Smith, a National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologist in Grand Rapids, talks about how the NWS defines ...

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22:13

What to expect as Congress looks to renew...

Talking Michigan Transportation ·

2026/01/15

Surface transportation reauthorization is the regular federal legislative process to renew and fund U.S. transportation programs for highways, transit, rail and safety, setting policies and priorities for billions in spending, with the current major authorization (part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act) set to expire Sept. 30, 2026, prompting ongoing discussions for the next bill. On this week’s edition of the Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, Zach Rable, a federal po...

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20:11

Study: Flashing LED lights can reduce crashes on curves

Talking Michigan Transportation ·

2025/12/04

On this week’s edition of the Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, a conversation about a new study that confirms that flashing LED lights, used strategically, can improve safety on curves. The study is part of a larger project looking for effective speed warning technologies, said Timothy Gates, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Michigan State University, who talked about the findings on the podcast. The research is funded by the Michigan Department of Transport...

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21:43

Projects improve travel near Grand Rapids, Traverse City

Talking Michigan Transportation ·

2025/11/19

In the second installment of podcasts focusing on significant road and bridge project completions by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), conversations about a new roundabout on busy routes near Traverse City and a new bridge over I-96 in Walker. First, Jeff Shaw, supervisor of Elmwood Township in Leelanau County, talks about what the roundabout means for traffic flow in the area, safety benefits and the connections for pedestrians and cyclists. “Now we're able to take a look at ...

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32:05

MDOT, communities celebrate conclusion of big projects

Talking Michigan Transportation ·

2025/11/13

On this week’s Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, conversations about celebrations of major road and bridge projects completed by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) in communities across the state. This week, a focus on the expansion of the U.S. 131 interchange with the U.S. 131 Business Route that links the freeway with downtown Kalamazoo. Jill Bland, executive vice president at Southwest Michigan First, talks about her decades of advocacy for the project and what it will...

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28:51

Michigan budget provides a boost to public...

Talking Michigan Transportation ·

2025/10/30

Public transportation advocates in Michigan are especially excited about components in the Fiscal Year 2026 budget that provide additional funding to transit agencies across the state. State Rep. Jason Morgan, D-Ann Arbor, a co-chairman of the Legislature’s transit caucus, touted it as an unprecedented investment. "This is the largest increase in public transit funding in Michigan's history, as far as I'm aware," Morgan said. "This is a truly transformational investment." On this week's Talki...

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23:49

Why MDOT is solidifying policies for use of facilities

Talking Michigan Transportation ·

2025/10/23

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has proposed administrative rules to provide guidance on the use of properties it maintains throughout the state. The proposed rules would improve safety and maintenance, and apply to all of Michigan's 61 rest areas, 82 roadside parks, 267 carpool lots, 23 scenic turnouts and 14 Welcome Centers. Greg Losch, head engineer for MDOT's University Region, has coordinated the drafting of the rules in collaboration with other state agencies. He spoke ...

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27:18

New transportation hub a big step for travelers in...

Talking Michigan Transportation ·

2025/10/17

Michigan Central, opened in Detroit in 1913 and designed by the same architects as New York's Grand Central Terminal, was a towering landmark and the tallest train station in the world at the time. It was a symbol of the city’s industrial might and later, sadly, became a symbol of blight instead. Now, through the vision of Ford Motor Co. officials and others, it is a symbol again, this time of a great city’s rebirth. This week, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer joined others in announcing a memoran...

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28:15

Michigan budget has good news for studying road usage...

Talking Michigan Transportation ·

2025/10/09

With Michigan’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget agreement now signed into law, this week’s edition of the Talking Michigan Transportation podcast focuses on a long-discussed pilot project for a road usage charge (RUC) system, which received funding. First, State Sen. Veronica Klinefelt of Eastpointe, who chairs the Senate Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee and has been a strong advocate for studying alternative ways to fund transportation, explains why she advocated for the RUC pilot. Later, ...

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26:44

Reprise: What 2024 polling said about removing sales...

Talking Michigan Transportation ·

2025/10/02

As lawmakers complete a Fiscal Year 2026 budget agreement, one component involves removing the sales tax on fuel and adding a commensurate amount to the fuel tax and putting it toward transportation. This week’s Talking Michigan Transportation podcast revisits a 2024 conversation with a veteran Michigan pollster about his survey then showing an overwhelming number of voters want the taxes they pay at the pump to fix roads and bridges. Michigan is among states with a sales tax on motor fuels. ...

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20:57

Federal help for studying and reducing wildlife crashes

Talking Michigan Transportation ·

2025/09/25

On this week’s Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, news that a federal grant will allow for the study of wildlife crossings to protect motorists and animals alike. Amanda Novak, a resource specialist at the Michigan Department of Transportation who helped lead the effort to secure the grant, returns to explain the benefits. The grant award comes at a good time as State Farm released an annual report this week that shows Michigan ranked fourth among states for vehicle collisions with anim...

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28:06

Increased enforcement targets trucks in work zones

Talking Michigan Transportation ·

2025/09/19

On this week’s Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, a conversation about the Michigan State Police (MSP) deploying added enforcement in freeway work zones. MC Lt. Jason Zylstra of MSP’s Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division (CVED) explains why they launched special enforcement in segments with major work like the heavily traveled I-96 in Ionia County. MSP observes that 97 percent of at-fault crashes involving large trucks and buses are caused by driver behavior. Zylstra also discusses: ...

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26:13

One more time: Texts about unpaid tolls are scams!

Talking Michigan Transportation ·

2025/09/11

As unscrupulous actors continue to impersonate government agencies and target unknowing people with texts about unpaid tolls, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel this week reissued a consumer alert. With that in mind, this week’s edition of the Talking Michigan Transportation podcast is a reprise of a conversation in June with J. Michael Skiba, also known as “Dr. Fraud,” a national expert on scams, like those proliferating in Michigan and other states, where text messages tell people they h...

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29:52

Panel of experts sheds light on transportation...

Talking Michigan Transportation ·

2025/09/05

On this week’s Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, a conversation recapping a Sept. 4 panel discussion in Lansing featuring a thoughtful discussion among experts from various fields on the need for sustainable transportation infrastructure funding and why it’s such a challenge. John Peracchio, who helped organize the event and moderated the discussion, says he was pleased with the comments of the panelists but hoped for a more robust question-and-answer session that followed. Some key th...

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19:17

As road funding talks continue, a look at pavement...

Talking Michigan Transportation ·

2025/08/28

On this week’s edition of the Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, a conversation with a trunkline pavement strategy specialist about how the work in his area helps inform investment decisions. Tim Lemon, who works in the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) Bureau of Transportation Planning, talks about how pavement condition is measured and how the data is used. He explains that remaining service life (RSL) is MDOT’s primary pavement condition performance measure, w...

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28:51

Building roads and bridges generates jobs

Talking Michigan Transportation ·

2025/08/21

On this week’s edition of the Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, a focus on jobs tied to road and bridge building. Gov. Whitmer sent a letter Aug. 7 to the directors of the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO), calling on them to compile and publicly release data on the impact of the state’s road funding cliff and federal funding rollbacks and policies on Michigan’s economy and employment. First, Heath Sal...

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27:09

The week for electric vehicle news

Talking Michigan Transportation ·

2025/08/15

On this week’s Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, analysis and takeaways on two major announcements related to the future of electric vehicles (EVs) and charging infrastructure. Joann Muller, who writes the Axios Future of Mobility newsletter, discusses her coverage of an announcement from Ford Motor Co. on Monday, Aug. 11, billed ahead of time as the next "Model T moment." As she wrote in her coverage, "The headline is that Ford will introduce a new family of EVs priced under $40...

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253 results

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