Transportation

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Copies of the reports listed below may be obtained by contacting the office at 517.373.8080 or contacting Kathryn Bateson.

Questions on the following documents should be directed to William E. Hamilton, Fiscal Analyst for the Transportation budget.

Key Documents and Links

Subcommittee Testimony

FY 2025-26 Appropriation Bill Summaries

Summary: Executive Recommendation

Special Reports

2025

2025 House Road Funding Package - City and Village Distribution March 20, 2025. Prepared by William E. Hamilton, Senior Fiscal Analyst.
2025 House Road Funding Package - County Distribution March 20, 2025. Prepared by William E. Hamilton, Senior Fiscal Analyst.
Fiscal Brief: Motor Fuel Taxes, Sales Tax on Motor Fuels, and Methods of Tax Collection May 21, 2024 (As Edited February 24, 2025). Prepared by William E. Hamilton, Senior Fiscal Analyst. This publication reviews the history of motor fuel taxes in Michigan, including the legal authorities for motor fuel taxes, the method of tax collection, and the distribution of motor fuel tax revenue. It also describes other taxes and fees imposed on the sale of motor fuel in Michigan, including Michigan's general sales tax.
Fiscal Brief: MTF Distribution Formula to Local Road Agencies - Update
February 21, 2025. Prepared by William E. Hamilton, Senior Fiscal Analyst. This updated publication describes the factors that govern the distribution of Michigan Transportation Fund (MTF) revenue to local road agencies (county road commissions and cities/villages). The publication includes a flowchart showing the estimated distribution of MTF revenue for FY 2024-25. The publication also includes tables showing the history of MTF revenue and distribution from FY 1996-97 through FY 2024-25.

2024

Fiscal Brief: Motor Fuel Taxes, Sales Tax on Motor Fuels, and Methods of Tax Collection May 21, 2024 (As Edited December 2, 2024). Prepared by William E. Hamilton, Senior Fiscal Analyst. This publication reviews the history of motor fuel taxes in Michigan, including the legal authorities for motor fuel taxes, the method of tax collection, and the distribution of motor fuel tax revenue. It also describes other taxes and fees imposed on the sale of motor fuel in Michigan, including Michigan's general sales tax.
Fiscal Brief: State Transportation Bonds and Debt Service - Summary
March 14, 2024. Prepared by William E. Hamilton, Senior Fiscal Analyst. This updated publication reviews the constitutional and statutory authority for the Michigan Department of Transportation's bond program. The publication also identifies outstanding transportation debt as of September 30, 2023, related debt service, and recent bond sales under the Rebuilding Michigan bond program.
Fiscal Brief: MTF Distribution Formula to Local Road Agencies - Update March 14, 2024. Prepared by William E. Hamilton, Senior Fiscal Analyst. This updated publication describes the factors that govern the distribution of Michigan Transportation Fund (MTF) revenue to local road agencies (county road commissions and cities/villages). The publication includes a flowchart showing the estimated distribution of MTF revenue for FY 2023-24. The publication also includes tables showing the history of MTF revenue and distribution from FY 1996-97 through FY 2023-24.

2023

Fiscal Brief: The Comprehensive Transportation Fund (CTF) and State Support for Local Public Transportation August 8, 2023. Prepared by William E. Hamilton, Senior Fiscal Analyst. This publication describes the sources and distribution of the state-restricted Comprehensive Transportation Fund, including the use of fund revenue for operating and capital assistance to local public transit agencies in Michigan.
Fiscal Brief: Federal Aid in Michigan's Transportation Budget - Focus on the Federal-Aid Highway Program March 31, 2023. Prepared by William E. Hamilton, Senior Fiscal Analyst. This Fiscal Brief explains the use of federal-aid in Michigan’s transportation budget, with a focus on the federal-aid highway program and the allocation of federal-aid highway funds to local road agencies. This publication updates a 2019 Fiscal Brief: Allocation of Federal Aid to Local Road Agencies, to reflect the reauthorization of the federal-aid surface transportation program under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
Fiscal Brief: MTF Distribution Formula to Local Road Agencies - Update February 20, 2023. Prepared by William E. Hamilton, Senior Fiscal Analyst. This updated publication describes the factors that govern the distribution of Michigan Transportation Fund (MTF) revenue to local road agencies (county road commissions and cities/villages).
Legislative Snapshot: Special Cause Fundraising License Plates January 2023

2022

Fiscal Brief: MTF Distribution Formula to Local Road Agencies - Update March 22, 2022. Prepared by William E. Hamilton, Senior Fiscal Analyst. This updated publication describes the factors that govern the distribution of Michigan Transportation Fund (MTF) revenue to local road agencies (county road commissions and cities/villages).

2021

Fiscal Brief: State Transportation Bonds and Debt Service - Summary March 3, 2021. Prepared by William E. Hamilton, Senior Fiscal Analyst. This updated publication reviews the constitutional and statutory authority for the Michigan Department of Transportation's bond program.
Fiscal Brief: MTF Distribution Formula to Local Road Agencies - Update March 3, 2021. Prepared by William E. Hamilton, Senior Fiscal Analyst. This updated publication describes the factors that govern the distribution of Michigan Transportation Fund (MTF) revenue to local road agencies (county road commissions and cities/villages).

2020

Fiscal Brief: State Transportation Bonds and Debt Service - Summary [718K] March 5, 2020. Prepared by William E. Hamilton, Senior Fiscal Analyst. This updated publication reviews the constitutional and statutory authority for the Michigan Department of Transportation's bond program.

2019

Fiscal Brief: MTF Distribution Formula to Local Road Agencies - Update [729K] May 6, 2019. Prepared by William E. Hamilton, Senior Fiscal Analyst. This publication describes the factors that govern the distribution of Michigan Transportation Fund (MTF) revenue to local road agencies (county road commissions and cities/villages).
FY 2018-19 Michigan Transportation Fund Revenues and Distributions [169K] May 6, 2019. Prepared by William E. Hamilton, Senior Fiscal Analyst. This flowchart represents the distribution of the Michigan Transportation Fund and Revenues distributions Per Sec. 10, 1951 PA 51.
Fiscal Brief: Allocation of Federal Aid To Local Road Agencies [169K] February 7, 2019. Prepared by William E. Hamilton, Senior Fiscal Analyst. This Fiscal Brief explains the use of federal aid surface transportation funds in the state transportation budget, and specifically, how federal aid is made available for local road agency programs.
Fiscal Brief: State Transportation Bonds and Debt Service [100K] February 7, 2019. Prepared by William E. Hamilton, Senior Fiscal Analyst. This publication reviews the constitutional and statutory authority for the Michigan Department of Transportation's bond program, as well as the recent history of bonds issued by the department and related debt service.

2018

Fiscal Brief: Detroit-Wayne County Port Authority [403K] November 30, 2018. Prepared by William E. Hamilton, Senior Fiscal Analyst. This publication describes Michigan’s Port Authority Act (Public Act 639 of 1978) and the Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority organized under Public Act 639.
Fiscal Focus - Transport Permits and the Regulation of Vehicle Size, Weight, and Load [854K], February 6, 2018. Prepared by William E. Hamilton, Senior Fiscal Analyst. This Fiscal Focus describes Michigan Vehicle Code provisions governing vehicle size, weight, and load, including provisions authorizing transport permits for the movement of oversize and overweight vehicles. The publication also describes enforcement programs related to Michigan Vehicle Code size, weight, and load regulations.

2017

Comprehensive Transportation Fund and State Support for Local Public Transit Agencies [575K], August 25, 2017. Prepared by William E. Hamilton, Senior Fiscal Analyst. This presentation covers the Comprehensive Transportation Fund and State Support for Local Public Transit Agencies.
Impact of the November 2015 Road Funding Package [606K], March 7, 2017. Prepared by William E. Hamilton, Senior Fiscal Analyst. This memorandum discusses the impact of the Road Funding Package from 2015.

2015

Legislative Analysis: Enacted Road Funding Package Summary [185K] November 16, 2015. Prepared by William E. Hamilton, Senior Fiscal Analyst, Jim Stansell, Senior Economist, and Kyle I. Jen, Deputy Director. This Legislative Analysis gives a summary of the following bills in the road funding package passed by the House and Senate and enacted into law. The bills are House Bills: 4370, 4614, 4616, 4736, 4737, 4738 and Senate Bill 414.
Legislative Analysis: Senate-Passed Road Funding Package [175K] November 3, 2015. Prepared by Jim Stansell, Senior Economist, William E. Hamilton, Senior Fiscal Analyst and Kyle I. Jen, Deputy Director. This Legislative Analysis gives a summary of the road funding package passed by the Senate.
Legislative Analysis: House Road Package - Preliminary Analysis [169K], October 21, 2015 prepared by Jim Stansell, Senior Economist, William Hamilton, Senior Fiscal Analyst, and Kyle I. Jen, Deputy Director. This Legislative Analysis gives a preliminary analysis of the following bills that make up the House Road Package: House Bills 4370,4614,4616,4736,4737,4738, and Senate Bill 414.
Fiscal Summary of House Road Package, [146K], June 8, 2015. This memorandum provides summary information on the estimated fiscal impacts of the bills included in the House road package: House Bills 4605 through 4616, as reported by the House Committee on Roads and Economic Development.
Ballot Proposal 1 of 2015: Transportation Funding Package [151K], April 7, 2015. Prepared by Chris Couch, Associate Director, Jim Stansell, Senior Economist, Adam Derosiers, Economist, William E. Hamilton, Senior Fiscal Analyst, Bethany Wicksall, Associate Director and Kyle I. Jen, Deputy Director This is a brief summary of Ballot Proposal 1, the Transportation Funding Package.
Fiscal Focus: State Transportation Borrowing and Debt Service. [528K], March, 2015. Prepared by William E. Hamilton, Senior Fiscal Analyst. This publication reviews the constitutional and statutory authority for the Michigan Department of Transportation's bond program, as well as the recent history of bonds issued by the department and related debt service.
Legislative Analysis: Transportation Funding Package, House Bills: House Joint Resolution UU, House Bills: 4539, 5167, 5477, 5492, 5493, 5460, 4251, 4630 and Senate Bills 80 and 847 [240K], February 11, 2015. Prepared by William E. Hamilton, Senior Fiscal Analyst, Kyle I. Jen, Deputy Director, Bethany Wicksall, Associate Director, Jim Stansell, Senior Economist, Adam Derosiers, Economist. This Legislative Analysis gives detailed information on the Transportation Funding Package.

2014

Fiscal Forum: Motor Fuel Taxes, Sales Tax on Motor Fuels, and Methods of Tax Collection [321K], November 14, 2014. Prepared by William E. Hamilton, Senior Fiscal Analyst. This publication gives detailed information on Motor Fuel Taxes, Sales Tax on Motor Fuels, and Methods of Tax Collection.
Fiscal Focus: Vehicle Registration Primer [128K], August 21, 2014. Prepared by William E. Hamilton, Senior Fiscal Analyst. This publication presents a detailed description and analysis of the major vehicle registration provisions of the Michigan Vehicle Code.
Transportation Funding in Michigan [468K], August 2014. Prepared by William E. Hamilton, Senior Fiscal Analyst. This presentation was given at the Kalamazoo County Road Commission on Transportation Funding in Michigan.
Michigan Department of Transportation Staffing Levels [933K], May 16, 2014. This memo provides information on the staffing levels for the Michigan Department of Transportation.

Transportation Archives