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Talking Michigan Transportation

Talking Michigan Transportation

Written by: Michigan Department of Transportation
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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.

© 2026 Talking Michigan Transportation
Political Science Politics & Government
Episodes
  • Polar vortex, winter storms test driver responsibility
    Jan 22 2026

    On this week’s edition of the Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, conversations about the vital message to drive to the conditions, especially during winter storms.

    First, Michigan State Police 1st Lt. Michael Shaw offers his insights on the causes of multi-vehicle crashes like the one that occurred between Hudsonville and Zeeland in Ottawa County on I-196 Monday, Jan. 19.

    Later, Bruce Smith, a National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologist in Grand Rapids, talks about how the NWS defines various warnings and advisories and what was in place Monday when the crashes occurred.

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    29 mins
  • What to expect as Congress looks to renew transportation funding
    Jan 15 2026

    Surface transportation reauthorization is the regular federal legislative process to renew and fund U.S. transportation programs for highways, transit, rail and safety, setting policies and priorities for billions in spending, with the current major authorization (part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act) set to expire Sept. 30, 2026, prompting ongoing discussions for the next bill.

    On this week’s edition of the Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, Zach Rable, a federal policy specialist at the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), talks about priorities for Michigan.

    He explains those priorities largely dovetail with those the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) are pushing.

    Photo by Adam Michael Szuscik on Unsplash.





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    22 mins
  • An update on MDOT’s work with Michigan Central and rail service to Toronto
    Jan 8 2026

    On this week’s edition of the Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, a conversation with Peter Anastor, director of the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) Office of Rail, about where things stand for passenger rail service at Michigan Central in Detroit.

    Anastor also offers an update on plans to link passenger rail service in Michigan with service in Canada and create a link between Chicago and Toronto.

    In October, MDOT, the City of Detroit and Michigan Central signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to begin preliminary assessments for a new multimodal transportation hub located within the 30-acre Michigan Central Innovation District on a parcel just southwest of the station.

    Key provisions include:

    • The partners will utilize a $10 million grant awarded to MDOT through the Federal Transit Administration's Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant program (now known as the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development, or BUILD, grant program), plus an additional $30 million in state funds.
    • This proposed hub would include infrastructure for passenger rail and intercity bus service.
    • Decisions about final project designs, funding and timelines will be shared as the exploratory phase progresses.
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    22 mins
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