"The right to criticize government is also an obligation to know what you are talking about."

-Lent Upson, first director of Citizens Research Council

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January 7, 2026

Core Problems in State's Roads Program Remain Unresolved

Over 25 years after the Act 51 Transportation Funding Study Committee completed its work, Michigan remains constrained by the same structural problems.

If Michigan is serious about improving the performance of its road program, it must invest in independent research by knowledgeable professionals acting in the public interest. Such research is necessary to obtain an objective perspective and actionable policy recommendations. The alternative – and status quo – is to throw more money into a wasteful system and hope that things will improve.

Examining the legacy of the Act 51 Transportation Funding Study Committee helps explain why Michigan’s road program continues to struggle and can inform a path toward more meaningful reform in the future.

IN A NUTSHELL

-- The Act 51 Transportation Funding Study Committee convened in 1998 to identify inefficiencies in Michigan’s road program and advise the legislature on appropriate changes to the road funding distribution formula.

-- The subsequent Study Committee report recommended the creation of an asset management process to inform and guide improvement of Michigan’s road program. State policymakers subsequently adopted an asset management program, but this has not resulted in meaningful reform.

-- Core problems in Michigan’s roads program remain unresolved. The road funding formula is now more complex, more entrenched, and less effective than it was 25 years ago. Meaningful improvement will require independent research to achieve an objective assessment of problems and solutions.