Talking Michigan Transportation

Michigan Department of Transportation
  • 4.7 (15)
  • 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. Historic flooding takes a toll on roads and bridges across Michigan

    4D AGO

    Historic flooding takes a toll on roads and bridges across Michigan

    As rains continue and in some areas of Michigan, rivers and tributaries continue to rise, crews from across state government and local agencies are working to protect and monitor the condition of dams, roads and bridges. Bill Wahl, associate region engineer for the Michigan Department’ of Transportation's North Region, is keeping a close eye on the damage to roads and bridges across all of the norther lower peninsula. He spoke on the podcast the afternoon of Thursday, April 16, about all that’s going on in the moment. Below is a list of bridges that have been closed and/or damaged by the floods already beginning with each structure number (STR):  Arenac County STR 445 State Road over Rifle River  Muskegon County STR 14563 Holton-Duck Lake Rd over Cedar Creek  Manistee County STR 6460 Johnson Road over Big Bear Creek failed; closed prior to failure STR 6450 River Road over Big Bear Creek  Grand Traverse County STR 3059 – failed; closed prior to failure Farmington Hills STR 14367 Tuck Road over Upper Rouge River  MDOT Grand Region STR 8593 M-66 over Middle Branch River STR 7551 M-120 over Cedar Creek  MDOT Superior Region STR 6792 US-2 over Big Cedar River  Menominee County STR 6867 30 Mile Road over Little Cedar River STR 6868 31 Mile Road over Little Cedar River STR 6871 41 Mile Road over Big Cedar River STR 12855 Route 358 over Little Cedar River  Midland County STR 6980 Schreiber over Weeks Drain

    25 min
  2. A look at crash fatality numbers and an update on work zone safety cameras

    APR 9

    A look at crash fatality numbers and an update on work zone safety cameras

    On this week’s Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, a follow-up conversation on numbers recently released by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) showing a decline in highway fatalities in 2025. Gregg Brunner, chief operations officer at the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), talks about measures that can help reduce crashes, which saw a 7 percent decline from 2024 to 2025 in Michigan. Nationwide, annual fatality numbers returned to pre-pandemic levels in 2025. As road construction season kicks off in earnest in Michigan, Brunner also discusses work zone safety. National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) is April 20-24. Finally, Brunner also explains continuing efforts to implement a work zone safety camera program, despite some hurdles, after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed legislation in December 2024 to authorize their use.  An Illinois official explained on the podcast in 2022 how the cameras have helped reduce crashes there and saved lives. The experience has been the same in more than 20 other states.

    20 min
  3. Reprise: After a pandemic spike in crashes, 2025 stats show positive trends

    APR 6

    Reprise: After a pandemic spike in crashes, 2025 stats show positive trends

    Annual numbers are out from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the rate of fatal crashes on our nation’s roads continued to trend in the right direction in 2025.  That was true in Michigan as well following 2020 and 2021 when the number of fatal crashes spiked during the earliest months of the pandemic as law enforcement agencies observed people driving at much higher speeds and many even abandoning seat belt use.  Next week, some Michigan officials will join the podcast to talk about the trends.  This week, listen to a reprise of an episode from 2021 when experts from Michigan State University and the Washington, D.C.-based Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) talked about the disturbing trends then.

    46 min
  4. Why falling ice leads to closing the Mackinac Bridge

    MAR 26

    Why falling ice leads to closing the Mackinac Bridge

    On this week’s Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, questions and explanations about the increasing frequency of melting ice falling from the Mackinac Bridge cables, creating hazards for motorists and the need to close the bridge for many hours at a time. This video illustrates the danger.  First, Joe Shampine, maintenance supervisor for the Mackinac Bridge Authority, talks about the dangers the heavy ice presents to travelers below and the decision-making process for closing and reopening the bridge. He also offers praise for maintenance staff members who have to explain to frustrated drivers why the bridge has to be closed during these events. Later, Matt Chynoweth, the former chief bridge engineer at the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and now bridge practice leader for the consulting firm RS&H, returns to the podcast to offer broader perspective based on his research and conversations with other bridge owners across the country and world.

    28 min
  5. What’s next for regional transit in southeast Michigan?

    MAR 19

    What’s next for regional transit in southeast Michigan?

    On this week’s edition of the Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, a conversation with Ben Stupka, executive director of the Regional Transit Authority (RTA) of Southeast Michigan. After nearly four decades of on-again, off-again discussions, Public Act 387 of 2012 established the RTA. Stupka talks about leading the funding, planning and coordination for all public transit systems across the four-county footprint. Services include D2A2, an express bus service connecting Detroit to Ann Arbor; the Detroit Air Express (DAX), a pilot express bus service connecting downtown Detroit to Detroit Metro Airport; and the MyRide2 mobility management system. The RTA efforts gained a boost recently with Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield proposing a budget with increased funding for public transit in the city, including the Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) bus system and the Detroit People Mover. The RTA operates the Qline.

    32 min
  6. Michigan panel boosts funding to rebuild major highways

    MAR 12

    Michigan panel boosts funding to rebuild major highways

    Michigan’s State Transportation Commission (STC) approved a fifth amending bonding resolution under Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Rebuilding Michigan Program, focused on rebuilding state highways and bridges that are critical to the state’s economy and carry the most traffic. On this week’s Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, Patrick McCarthy, director of finance at the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), explains the action. The resolution, supported by all six members, amended resolution accurately reflects actual total costs of completed and upcoming construction projects from $3.5 billion to $4.3 billion.  Initially approved by the STC in 2020, up to a maximum of $3.5 billion of bonding principal were authorized. Together with the initial principal, any associated premium received from investors and interest earned may be used to fund the program.

    20 min
  7. New mobility comes at a cost

    MAR 5

    New mobility comes at a cost

    On this week’s Talking Michigan Transportation, conversations about automaker efforts to bring down the cost of electric vehicles (EVs), the impact of the EV pullback on the South and trends in safety. Joann Muller, the transportation correspondent at Axios and author of their weekly Future of Mobility newsletter, joined the podcast to talk about those issues and more. Some key topics: ·       Ford’s efforts to make EVs more affordable. ·       How public policy at the federal level will affect the development of autonomous vehicles, which are typically EVs. ·       Safety concerns for robotaxis.

    26 min
  8. Reprise: Focusing on the work force as we enter a new road construction season

    FEB 26

    Reprise: Focusing on the work force as we enter a new road construction season

    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 the state’s road funding cliff and federal funding rollbacks and policies on Michigan’s economy and employment.  First, Heath Salisbury, financial secretary and training director for Operating Engineers 324, talked about what investments in infrastructure mean to people in the skilled trades and the thousands of jobs involved.  Salisbury offers his own perspective as a veteran of the industry, working in the trenches, then later in training workers and developing a work force capable of building in a modern environment where technology is evolving rapidly. Later, Karen Faussett, who manages MDOT’s statewide and urban travel analysis section, talked about how her team tracks the economic benefits of investment in transportation infrastructure.

    28 min
See All (265)

Ratings & Reviews

4.7
out of 5
15 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
    265
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Talking Michigan Transportation
  • Show Website
    Talking Michigan Transportation

You Might Also Like