Senator Peters ‘optimistic’ about further investments under Michigan’s infrastructure bill

LANSING, Michigan — “This is absolutely essential for our state and our communities, and that’s why I’m cautiously optimistic that we will continue to be able to make these kinds of investments,” said Senator Gary Peters (D-Michigan).

On Tuesday, Peters hosted a subcommittee hearing in Lansing to examine the opportunities and challenges of implementing the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law) in Michigan.

According to officials, the bill was signed by President Biden in November 2021 and authorized funding for transportation and port infrastructure projects across the country.

Tuesday’s hearing focused on implementation of the law at the state and local levels, including providing funding to rural, urban and suburban areas across the state.

“I would like to see us hold this kind of bipartisan coalition together to understand that infrastructure investment is not a partisan issue,” Peters said.

Michigan is geographically diverse, but Peters said it also has maritime assets and opportunities that offer much to learn from.

“Basically, the fundamentals of infrastructure touch every aspect of Michigan. No matter what state you live in, things that happen in Michigan can be examples of what could work in your state,” Peters said.

In addition to giving the Great Lakes state the ability to repair its roads and bridges, the law expanded access to high-speed internet, modernized railroads and airports, provided clean water to families and made progress in the fight for a clean energy economy.

“In Detroit, Menominee, Monroe and the Soo Locks, key ports on the Great Lakes have begun to receive the support they need to strengthen our supply chain,” Peters said. “In Kalamazoo, Pontiac, Sault Ste. Marie and Jackson, the bipartisan infrastructure bill’s funding program has spurred new projects that will improve pedestrian safety and access, transform downtowns and rehabilitate key roadways. Our state has all of that.”

More information about the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act can be found online.