Talking Michigan Transportation

Michigan Department of Transportation
  • 4.7 (16)
  • Government
  • Updated Weekly

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.

  1. 4h ago

    Calls mount for more e-bike regulation

    On this week’s edition of the Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, a look at the regulatory challenges presented by an increasing number of electric bikes (e-bikes) on roads, sidewalks and trails. Several bills have been introduced recently to further regulate the bikes. Tim Gates, a professor in civil and environmental engineering at Michigan State University who has researched the topic, offers his insights. Federal law defines e-bikes as bicycles if they have a motor less than 750 watts and a speed limit of 20 mph. However, state laws vary, with some requiring registration, helmets or restricted usage in specific areas. Under Michigan law (MCL 257.13e), an e-bike has: A seat or saddleFully operable pedalsAn electric motor of 750 watts or lessAn e-bike that meets these standards is treated like a bicycle. You don’t need a license, registration or insurance to ride one. Michigan’s 2017 e-bike law sorts e-bikes into three classes, which set the top assisted speed and whether the bike can use a throttle. Class 1: The motor helps only while you pedal, up to 20 mph.Class 2: The motor can also run on a throttle, up to 20 mph.Class 3: The motor helps only while you pedal, up to 28 mph.Additionally, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) has approved class 1 and class 2 (for mobility only) e-bikes on select DNR-managed trails. That expansion followed months of collaborative research and discussion with trail users and organizations.

    Calls mount for more e-bike regulation

  2. Sep 30

    Making the rapids grand again

    This week’s edition of the Talking Michigan Transportation podcast features conversations with two people instrumental in a project to restore the rapids to the Grand River in Grand Rapids. First, Matt Chapman, executive director of Grand Rapids Whitewater, talks about the history of the river (Michigan’s longest at 252 miles), why dams were installed and the why the rapids were cleared in the first place. He also talks about the unique opportunity to provide benefits to the environment, wildlife habitat and recreational opportunities in a river that falls 18 feet within the city of Grand Rapids.  Later, former Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss, long a champion of the project, shares her recollections of 18 years of work to move the project forward and why it was so important to her. She touts the economic benefits as well as the river’s role as a connector rather than a divider in the city.   Bliss also talks about the spiritual significance of the Owashtanong to the first inhabitants of the city.

    Making the rapids grand again

  3. Sep 24

    It’s National Roundabouts Week. Who knew?

    The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has declared this week, Sept. 21-25, as National Roundabouts Week. The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has installed roundabouts at various intersections, when appropriate, for several years. On this week’s edition of the Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, a conversation with MDOT Engineer of Traffic Safety Garrett Dawe about the life-saving benefits of roundabouts. According to the FHWA, roundabouts reduce intersection crashes resulting in death or injury by an average of 82 percent. They also reduce traffic delays by 62 to 74 percent while often costing less than traditional signalized intersections over their lifespan due to lower maintenance and operational requirements. Several cities across Michigan and in several other states have been aggressive about installing roundabouts. One in Indiana, in particular, is considered the roundabout capital of the United States.

    It’s National Roundabouts Week. Who knew?

  4. Sep 17

    What’s next for the iconic Tunnel of Trees?

    Just as crews began repairing sections of M-119 (also known as The Tunnel of Trees) damaged by April flooding, heavy rains in June wreaked havoc on more sections of the popular tourist route in Michigan's northern Lower Peninsula. Following completion of a $300,000 project to stabilize the slope beneath a section of M-119 near West Stutsmanville Road damaged in the spring flooding, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) announced in early September that it has reopened M-119 between West Stutsmanville Road and Terpening Road. This map shows current status and detour routes. On this week’s edition of the Talking Michigan Transportation, an update from MDOT North Region Engineer Bill Wahl on work that’s been completed on M-119 and what long-term challenges remain for the corridor. He also talks about some of the other roads in MDOT's North Region damaged in the spring flooding. Finally, Wahl offers details on construction of a diverging diamond interchange (DDI) at the I-75/M-32 intersection in Gaylord. The first such interchange to be built in northern lower Michigan, a DDI is an alternative interchange that improves safety, increases traffic flow and can reduce construction costs.

    What’s next for the iconic Tunnel of Trees?

  5. Sep 10

    Reprise: DNR boosts hunting to help farmers, reduce car-deer crashes

    As fall approaches, and on the heels of last week’s discussion about creating safe crossings to prevent deadly and costly vehicle-wildlife crashes, we are reprising an episode from 2024 featuring a discussion with Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) Public Information Officer Ed Golder.  Golder talked about the decline in deer harvests being reported by hunters and an innovative program, now called Hunters Feeding Michigan, a name change from what was mentioned in the original podcast. Since then, Golder says the MDNR is doing more than ever to help farmers get deer off their land. I hope you enjoy this encore presentation. The podcast covers themes featured in a Detroit Free Press story detailing other creative efforts by the MDNR to stem the proliferation of deer in the state’s southern regions. Golder explained the challenges and how wildlife officials are tackling them. Podcast image courtesy of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

    Reprise: DNR boosts hunting to help farmers, reduce car-deer crashes

  6. Sep 2

    Study moving forward to prevent vehicle-wildlife crashes

    Research indicates as many as 2 million vehicles collide with large wildlife in the United States each year, resulting in as many as 200 human deaths, more than 26,000 injuries and billions of dollars in property damage. Officials in Michigan hope to join other states in finding creative ways to address the problem. On this week’s Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, Amanda Novak, a resource specialist at the Michigan Department of Transportation, talks about her work in conjunction with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to study these collisions and ways to create safer crossings. Environment America reports that a survey of Americans about their views on wildlife crossings found that nearly 90 percent of them support the concept.  Other relevant links: https://www.pew.org/en/trust/archive/summer-2026/states-act-to-reduce-wildlife-collisions  https://highways.dot.gov/federal-lands/wildlife-crossings    Podcast Photo by Da-shika on Unsplash

    Study moving forward to prevent vehicle-wildlife crashes

  7. Aug 27

    Progress on a Michigan road user charge project

    On this week’s Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, a conversation with Jennifer Roberts, national road usage charge (RUC) discipline lead at CDM Smith, the consultant selected by the Michigan Department of Transportation to study and eventually pilot transitioning Michigan’s primary road funding formula to an RUC instead of the gas tax. The Michigan Legislature in 2025 directed MDOT to begin the study and pilot program. Roberts provided a project overview and the tasks ahead, including project management, planning and procurement, statewide public outreach and education, legislative engagement, operational pilot, revenue modeling and, finally, findings and completion of a report.  She also talks about what she’s learned from other states in various phases of studying or piloting alternative methods of paying for transportation, as discussed on the podcast previously with the Washington, D.C.-based Mileage Based User Fee Alliance (MBUFA).

    Progress on a Michigan road user charge project

  8. Aug 20

    Feds ease rules to expedite deployment of robotaxis

    This week’s edition of the Talking Michigan Transportation podcast features another conversation with Joann Muller, who writes the Axios Future of Mobility newsletter.  Muller talks about her recent reporting on Amazon’s Zoox (pronounced "zooks") robotaxis. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) granted a temporary exemption to commercially deploy up to 2,500 robotaxis annually for two years.  All of this comes as Waymo, Uber and other companies make investments in the rapidly evolving automated vehicle (AV) industry and encounter hiccups along the way.  Muller also talks about a recent road trip she made through Wisconsin in a Rivian R2. She was pleased to find a robust charging network eliminating any range anxiety. She was also impressed with Rivian’s use of adaptive driving beam (ADB) headlights and talked about why the technology has been developed more slowly in the U.S.  From the newsletter:  A decade after shape-shifting headlights changed nighttime driving in Europe, the technology remains remarkably scarce in North America - a case study in how U.S. regulations can slow the arrival of proven safety innovations.  Photo by Remy Gieling on Unsplash

    Feds ease rules to expedite deployment of robotaxis
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Ratings & Reviews

4.7
out of 5
16 Ratings

About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Michigan Department of Transportation
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    287
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Talking Michigan Transportation
  • Show Website
    Talking Michigan Transportation

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