Shows / Talking Michigan Transportation
Talking Michigan 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.
Episodes
Talking Michigan TransportationA look at project milestones as 2026 construction season winds down
As this year’s road construction season draws to a close, this week’s edition of the Talking Michigan Transportation podcast focuses on some of the major…
Talking Michigan TransportationSenate seeks to expedite permitting, environmental review
Just before the U.S. Senate recessed at the end of September, leaders of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee and the Energy and Natural…
Talking Michigan TransportationMSP after another road worker death: “It was a preventable crash”
This week’s edition of the Talking Michigan Transportation podcast is an encore of a previous discussion about the vital need for driver attention in work…
Talking Michigan TransportationCalls 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…
Talking Michigan TransportationMaking 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…
Talking Michigan TransportationIt’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)…
Talking Michigan TransportationWhat’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…
Talking Michigan TransportationReprise: 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…
Talking Michigan TransportationStudy 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…
Talking Michigan TransportationProgress 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…
Talking Michigan TransportationFeds 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…
Talking Michigan TransportationThe Gordie Howe International bridge: Memories from the trenches
On July 27, with little fanfare, the long-awaited Gordie Howe International Bridge (GHIB) opened, creating a vital commercial link between Detroit and Windsor…
Talking Michigan TransportationA long-awaited celebration at the Blue Water Bridge
On this week’s Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, Amy Winn, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) administrator at the Blue Water Bridge in…
Talking Michigan TransportationProgress update on MDOT’s electric vehicle charging program
It has been five years since adoption of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which, among many things, included federal funding for the National Electric…
Talking Michigan TransportationReimagining the U.S. Interstate system at 70
A national effort, entitled the “Reimagining America’s Interstates” initiative, is collecting comments on new interstate facility suggestions, feedback on…
Talking Michigan TransportationMichigan budget agreement ensures continued investment in roads
On this week’s edition of the Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, State Transportation Director Bradley C. Wieferich talks about the Fiscal Year 2027…
Talking Michigan TransportationMore deluges, more washouts on 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 wreaked havoc on more sections of…
Talking Michigan TransportationHow research informs transportation decisions
On this week’s edition of the Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, a conversation with Michael Townley, engineer of research at the Michigan Department of…
Talking Michigan TransportationReprise: The people behind a most iconic international handshake
By now, you may have seen a photo taken high above the Detroit River of two iron workers, one from Canada and one from the United States, shaking hands to mark…
Talking Michigan TransportationITSA meetings to showcase transportation innovation in Detroit
The Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITSA) convenes its annual conference in Detroit next week, so John Peracchio, a member of the Michigan…
Talking Michigan TransportationU.S. House makes progress on transportation funding
On this week’s Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, Susan Howard, director of government relations and policy for the American Association of State Highway…
Talking Michigan TransportationLegislation aims to teach new drivers how to navigate work zones
This week’s edition of the Talking Michigan Transportation highlights proposed legislation to include driving through work zones as a focus of driver’s…
Talking Michigan TransportationThree years later, is the hands-free law reducing Michigan crashes?
On this week’s edition of the Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, an update from Ryan McMahon of Cambridge Mobile Telematics, a Massachusetts firm that…
Talking Michigan TransportationWhat we learned from a Michigan maritime policy panel
This week’s edition of the Talking Michigan Transportation podcast features conversations with two key participants in a panel discussion convened to discuss…
Talking Michigan TransportationHow MDOT is protecting people, animals and plants on Earth Day 2026
On this week’s edition of the Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, Amanda Novak returns to talk about progress on a federal grant to implement a pilot…
Talking Michigan TransportationHistoric 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…
Talking Michigan TransportationA 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…
Talking Michigan TransportationReprise: 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…
Talking Michigan TransportationWhy 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…
Talking Michigan TransportationWhat’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…
Talking Michigan TransportationMichigan 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…
Talking Michigan TransportationNew 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…
Talking Michigan TransportationReprise: 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…
Talking Michigan TransportationPaying by the miles driven - where things stand
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)…
Talking Michigan TransportationReprise: The people behind a most iconic international handshake
By now, you may have seen a photo taken high above the Detroit River of two iron workers, one from Canada and one from the United States, shaking hands to mark…
Talking Michigan TransportationExiting STC chairman reflects on his tenure
On this week’s Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, a conversation with Mike Hayes, a former Midland lawmaker who is stepping down from the State…
Talking Michigan TransportationMDOT’s new chief administrative officer takes on a road user charge project
On this week’s Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, a conversation with the new chief administrative officer at the Michigan Department of Transportation…
Talking Michigan TransportationPolar vortex, winter storms test driver responsibility
On this week’s edition of the Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, conversations about the vital message to drive to the conditions, especially during…
Talking Michigan TransportationWhat to expect as Congress looks to renew transportation funding
Surface transportation reauthorization is the regular federal legislative process to renew and fund U.S. transportation programs for highways, transit, rail…
Talking Michigan TransportationAn update on MDOT’s work with Michigan Central and rail service to Toronto
On this week’s edition of the Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, a conversation with Peter Anastor, director of the Michigan Department of Transportation…
Talking Michigan TransportationMDOT director touts 2025 accomplishments
On this week’s Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, a conversation about key road, bridge and rail projects completed across the state. Michigan Department…
Talking Michigan TransportationVeteran MDOT leader reflects on a rich career in state government
Laura Mester, who has served as the chief administrative officer at the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) since 2011, is retiring from state…
Talking Michigan TransportationStudy: Flashing LED lights can reduce crashes on curves
On this week’s edition of the Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, a conversation about a new study that confirms that flashing LED lights, used…
Talking Michigan TransportationProjects improve travel near Grand Rapids, Traverse City
In the second installment of podcasts focusing on significant road and bridge project completions by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT)…
Talking Michigan TransportationMDOT, communities celebrate conclusion of big projects
On this week’s Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, conversations about celebrations of major road and bridge projects completed by the Michigan Department…
Talking Michigan TransportationMichigan budget provides a boost to public transportation
Public transportation advocates in Michigan are especially excited about components in the Fiscal Year 2026 budget that provide additional funding to transit…
Talking Michigan TransportationWhy MDOT is solidifying policies for use of facilities
The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has proposed administrative rules to provide guidance on the use of properties it maintains throughout the…
Talking Michigan TransportationNew transportation hub a big step for travelers in Detroit
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…
Talking Michigan TransportationMichigan budget has good news for studying road usage charges
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…
Talking Michigan TransportationReprise: What 2024 polling said about removing sales tax from fuel
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…
Talking Michigan TransportationFederal help for studying and reducing wildlife crashes
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…
Talking Michigan TransportationIncreased enforcement targets trucks in work zones
On this week’s Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, a conversation about the Michigan State Police (MSP) deploying added enforcement in freeway work zones…
Talking Michigan TransportationOne more time: Texts about unpaid tolls are scams!
As unscrupulous actors continue to impersonate government agencies and target unknowing people with texts about unpaid tolls, Michigan Attorney General Dana…
Talking Michigan TransportationPanel of experts sheds light on transportation funding battle
On this week’s Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, a conversation recapping a Sept. 4 panel discussion in Lansing featuring a thoughtful discussion among…
Talking Michigan TransportationAs road funding talks continue, a look at pavement forecasts
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…
Talking Michigan TransportationBuilding roads and bridges generates jobs
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…
Talking Michigan TransportationThe week for electric vehicle news
On this week’s Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, analysis and takeaways on two major announcements related to the future of electric vehicles (EVs) and…
Talking Michigan TransportationAre we talking enough about crumbling bridges?
On this week’s edition of the Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, a conversation with the state’s chief bridge engineer about the dire forecast for…
Talking Michigan TransportationMichigan DNR works to provide access for all to popular state park beach
On this week’s edition of the Michigan Department of Transportation podcast, Scott Bowen, director of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR)…
Talking Michigan TransportationHow safety cameras slow down drivers in school zones
On this week’s Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, Garrett Dawe, engineer of traffic and safety for the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT)…