Vote Yes May 5th!

The voting polls are fast approaching! Where do you stand on Proposal 1? Can you think of a road in your area that is in desperate need of repair? This is your chance!

With the current fixed gas tax eroded by inflation, lost tax revenue from population decline during the great recession, and increased cost to maintain road infrastructure, Proposal 1 is Lansing's solution to generate $1.2 billion to improve roads and bridges around the state. 

Proposal 1 seeks to increase the state sales tax, which can only be done by amending the Michigan Constitution. To do so requires a vote of the people.

The passing of Proposal 1 would put 10 pieces of legislation into effect. For an in-depth review on Proposal 1, click here.

Proposal 1 gives Michigan taxpayers three strong guarantees:

1. Every penny in state taxes we pay at the pump is guaranteed to go to transportation. Proposal 1 ends the shell game played by the politicians in Lansing that shifts gas taxes to non-transportation purposes.

2. Every penny in the School Aid Fund is guaranteed in the constitution to fund education where it helps our kids the most: our K-12 schools and community colleges. 

3. Taxpayers even get guarantees from the road builders for local road projects. Proposal 1 for the first time extends road builder warranties to most local road projects. If the roads are not built right, the road builders — not taxpayers — will pay for the repairs. It also raises registration fees on heavy trucks.

Click Here for the Detroit Free Press Op-Ed

Click Here for several other Op-Ed pieces.

Click Here for Just Fix The Road FAQ page. 

Click Here for MDOT's Reality Check.

SafeRoadsYes.com, a bipartisan coalition of more than 100 police, firefighter, farmers, teachers, business, and other organizations from across Michigan, supports voting YES on Proposal 1 on May 5th. 

Take a closer look into Proposal 1 with this MLive video here.

Why are our roads underfunded?Click Here for Midwest Per Capita Spending and Repair Costs. 

While complex, Proposal 1 is a rare chance to be heard, to invest in our future, create jobs in the process, and finally FIX our roads! Vote Yes on Proposal 1 on May 5th. 

A Partnership in Safety

It's that time of year again, it's road construction season!

With every year comes new and exciting projects that put us to the test and this year is no exception. The US-31 project, dubbed "The Miracle Mile," entails both a large amount of work and a short amount of time to complete it. Team Elmer's has partnered with MIOSHA (Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration) and LARA (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs) for the high profile project, in an effort to increase the safety and well-being of all involved throughout the project.

“MIOHSA applauds Team Elmer’s for its high standards of safety and health that begin with pre-employment screening and safety training, and continue with regular safety training and certifications,” said MIOSHA Director Martha Yoder. “The agency is proud to partner with a company so dedicated to providing the highest level of worker protection on this reconstruction project.”

“Partnering with MIOSHA is a unique opportunity to showcase how we value safety,” added Nick Broad, Team Elmer’s project manager for the US-31 reconstruction. “Upholding this emphasis on safety creates excellence in our work environment and allows us to protect workers. We look forward to collaborating with all partners, including MIOSHA, ensuring a safe work environment.”

All partners agree to commit their leadership, time, and resources to achieve this valuable goal.

Partnering employers include:  Bella Concrete, PK Contracting, Give ‘Em a Break, Diane Dukes, J. Ranck Electric, Pollution Control Services, Nashville Construction, Antigo Construction, K&H Concrete Cutting

Supporting partners also include the MDOT, Grand Traverse County, Travelers Insurance, Inland Seas Engineering, Soils and Structures, and Early Safety Services LLC.

This newfound partnership was formed with one goal in mind; ZERO worker injuries. In order to do so, extra precautionary measures have been taken by all involved, including:

• Adherence to All Safety Policies, procedures, and MIOSHA standards.
• 100 percent Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) including hard hats, eye protection – prescription eye wear with side shields or ANSI Z-87.1 protective safety glasses with built in side shields, and appropriate work footwear. 
• Mandatory attendance to a project safety orientation. This includes project orientation, project-specific safety training, and passing a written test on the information given at such training at the completion of session.  A hardhat sticker will be given at the end of this training.  All workers are to place this sticker on their hardhat to demonstrate that they have completed the safety orientation. 
• All crane operators will be Certified Crane Operators (CCO) as recognized by the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO). 
• Mandatory pre-work substance abuse testing.
• Mandatory post-accident substance abuse testing.
• Job Safety Analysis (JSA) is to be completed and submitted to Team Elmer’s prior to each shift and prior to the beginning of critical work.
• Contractors shall provide a competent and/or qualified person for work operations as identified by MIOSHA standards and/or Team Elmer’s.
• Team Elmer’s and the partnering employers on this project will uniformly enforce a disciplinary action plan for employees who fail to work in a safe manner.  Automatic dismissal from this project shall result from any willful or deliberate violation of safety rules or safety policies and procedures.
• Daily tool box talks will be given prior to the start of the shift.  Any near-miss accidents from the previous day will be discussed and action will be taken to eliminate any potential hazards.

“It is a great relationship to build on because everyone has the same goal, the safety of our workers, our partnering sub-contractors, and the traveling public,” said Steve Ward, director of safety at Team Elmer’s.

The partnership does not preclude MIOSHA from enforcing its mission of addressing complaints, fatalities, or serious accidents, nor does it infringe on the rights of employees to report workplace hazards.

“The MIOSHA program is committed to partnering with employers to continually improve Michigan’s workplace safety and health,” said Director Yoder. “Through these important partnerships, MIOSHA can offer employers a voluntary, cooperative relationship to help eliminate serious hazards and achieve significant safety and health management goals.”

Featured Project 

US-31: The Miracle Mile

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is reconstructing 1.5 miles of US-31 in East Bay Township, just east of Traverse City, from Three Mile Road to Holiday Road. This project includes replacing the roadway, replacing curb and gutter, improving drainage, interconnecting all sidewalks, and upgrading traffic signals. 

The reconstruction is scheduled to be completed by June 27th, just in time for the busy holiday traffic to arrive. MDOT will also resurface approximately 3.5 miles of US-31 between Holiday Road and Brackett Road near the Grand Traverse Resort & Spa. The resurfacing portion of the project, between Holiday Road and Brackett Road, will begin after Labor Day and be completed by November.

The reconstruction portion of this project will require lane closures, with one lane open in each direction throughout construction. Access to driveways and businesses will be maintained at all times. Traffic regulators are onsite for work zone assistance. Delays are expected, with longer delays anticipated during peak traffic periods. During the resurfacing project, one lane will remain open in each direction.

Visit GTRoadWork.com for a map of all scheduled 2015 road construction. Click here for an up-to-date traffic report of the US-31 project.

Timelapse of April 6 - 9 (Intersection of US-31 and 4 Mile Rd)

Stay up to date as this high-profile project progresses: