WHAT'S HAPPENING AT TRI-COUNTY?

New Transportation Improvement Program Invests in Our Future We've kicked off the development of our region's four-year Transportation Improvement Program for fiscal years 2023 through 2026! This program is projected to invest over $150 million into our transportation infrastructure to improve the way we live, work, and play. READ MORE

Tri-County Releases Regional Analysis of COVID-19 Economic Impacts In June, Tri-County completed an Economic Impact Analysis of COVID-19 on the Greater Lansing region. We are pleased to provide much-needed data to help community leaders make informed decisions when prioritizing funding and developing programs to effectively respond to the pandemic's impacts. READ MORE

Request for Proposals Issued to Conduct a Comprehensive Housing Assessment This assessment will help our communities better understand the existing trends and barriers in today's housing market. Stay tuned for project updates as we begin work with a consulting firm in October to analyze the condition of our housing and evaluate policies, programs, and funding sources that address challenges throughout the Greater Lansing region! VIEW HERE

Resiliency Strategy Sets Course for Regional Economic Recovery We are currently developing a Comprehensive Economic Resiliency Strategy for the tri-county region to prioritize goals and actions that can prepare us for future economic disruptions, address current vulnerabilities, and support short- and long-term recovery efforts. Community leaders are meeting now to help develop this strategy, due to be completed by the end of 2021. READ MORE

Project to Survey Ingham County Groundwater Now Complete  The Ingham County Groundwater Survey project began in 2018 in collaboration with numerous community partners and the Groundwater Management Board to resample over 300 wells that were tested throughout the county in the 1980s. Check out the final report to learn about the quality of groundwater in all 16 townships! READ MORE

Calculate How Much Stormwater Runoff Your Home Produces Parts of the region saw historic rainfalls this summer - upwards of eight inches in some areas. Homeowners can use the Greater Lansing Regional Committee for Stormwater Management's new runoff calculator to determine how many gallons of runoff formed on your property! Resources on rain gardens to help capture and infiltrate runoff are also available. VIEW HERE

Tri-County Discusses Greater Lansing Infrastructure Priorities with U.S. Senator Gary Peters

In June, Tri-County’s Executive Director Jim Snell and Deputy Director Nicole Baumer met with Michigan U.S. Senator Gary Peters and other local officials and business leaders to discuss major infrastructure priorities for the Greater Lansing region. Senator Peters' “Building a Stronger Michigan” tour in Lansing included a visit to Michigan Avenue and the ongoing Montgomery Drain Project to rebuild a 100-year-old urban storm drain.   These are two important areas that illustrate how long-term investment into our sewer systems and roads can make a large impact for our local communities and the region. After nearly a decade of planning, the $35 million Montgomery Drain project will help fix flooding problems and block contaminated stormwater from entering the Red Cedar River. Learn more on this project here.   Senator Peters spoke with leaders on the need to update Greater Lansing’s sewer system infrastructure, as well as the need for road improvements and increasing access to high-speed broadband internet. Peters supported the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that makes historic investments in Michigan’s infrastructure, including roads, bridges, high-speed internet, electric vehicles, and the Great Lakes. The Act passed the Senate in August and awaits further action in the House.

Tri-County works with local communities and the state to plan and implement transportation projects throughout the region. Visit our website to learn more about improvements planned for the Greater Lansing area.

The construction season is well under way in Michigan. Here are some of the latest updates on major projects for the area:

The Michigan Department of Transportation will invest approximately $65 million to rebuild I-69 from I-96 to Airport Road, rebuild the interchanges at Francis and Airport roads, and perform preventive maintenance and repairs to 13 bridges between the I-96/I-69 interchange and Airport Road. Most of the work for this project, located in Clinton and Eaton counties, will take place in 2021-2022, with additional bridge maintenance in 2023.

To plan for several upcoming developments, namely, the new McLaren Greater Lansing hospital and apartments being constructed at the intersection of Collins and Dunckel roads, a $3.6 million project is well under way to expand Forest Road. These improvements add a center turn lane to Forest Road and a roundabout to the intersection of Forest and Collins roads. The roundabout aims to prevent crashes and encourage people to drive slower. A paved pedestrian pathway is being added along Forest and Harrison roads, which will connect to the Lansing River Trail. The new Bear Lake pathway from Cavanaugh to Forest has also been paved and extends the Lansing River Trail.

To improve the service and safety of Abbot Road between West Saginaw Highway and Lake Lansing Road, the existing four-lane road has been converted to a two-lane road with a shared center left turn lane. Construction is nearly complete and includes crushing, shaping, and paving the roadway; replacing sidewalks and upgrading sidewalk ramps; adding pavement markings and signing improvements; and adding a northbound and southbound bicycle lane. The project will increase pedestrian and bicyclist safety on this important corridor to the MSU campus.

MDOT is performing critical preventive maintenance and repair work on 11 bridges in Ingham and Livingston counties. Northbound US-127 traffic will be shifted from Trowbridge Road to Vine Street ramps for bridge improvements. Two lanes will be open on northbound US-127 from Trowbridge Road to Vine Street. The eastbound I-496 ramp to northbound US-127 and the Trowbridge Road ramp to northbound US-127 will be closed. A detour is posted and the estimated completion date is Monday, November 15, 2021.

Follow us on social media for updates on upcoming transportation projects, meetings, and public comment opportunities!

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The U.S. Economic Development Administration is offering local governments billions for economic development funding through a series of six innovative challenges. Learn more here!

Amazon, Inc. announced plans to build its first mid-Michigan non-sortable item fulfillment center in Delta Township in 2022 at the corner of Mt. Hope Highway and Creyts Rd. The new facility will be over one million square feet and will bring over 500 competitively paid jobs to the region! The new development confirms the talented workforce and business-friendly environment of the Greater Lansing region. Learn more here. The new CATA Route 18, Capital City Crosstown, will provide an important connection between Lansing and East Lansing. Buses will serve over 50 bus stops every 30 minutes, traveling along Mt. Hope Avenue between Aurelius Rd. and Harrison Rd. each weekday to MSU’s campus and the new McLaren Greater Lansing hospital. Residents can also connect to six additional Lansing routes along the new Route 18. Visit the CATA website to learn more.

The Census Bureau officially released redistricting data in August - the first broad release of Census 2020 data accessible to the public. These results include population by race, number of households, and more. All three counties in our region saw at least a 1% increase in population, with Clinton County seeing 5% growth. Check out initial trends for our region - including diversity and population trends - and explore data with the 2020 Census Demographic Data Map Viewer! The Lansing Area Economic Area Partnership reports life sciences and health care account for $1.5 billion of our region’s recent economic investments. Major new developments include McLaren Greater Lansing’s new hospital adjacent to Michigan State University (MSU), a Sparrow Okemos emergency department, a Sparrow outpatient surgical center downtown, a MSU and Henry Ford Health System research center, and a McKesson distribution center in Holt. Learn more here.

Due to the coronavirus, there have been many cancellations and changes to events everywhere. Tri-County has mitigation measures in place, including the suspension of face-to-face nonesssential meetings through October 1, 2021. Check our calendar for the most up-to-date status of meetings at mitcrpc.org/meetings.

September 12-15: American Water Works Association Water Infrastructure Conference | Learn more September 18: Lansing Earth Project and Friends of the Lansing Regional Trails Coffee & Cleanup | Learn more September 22: EGLE’s The Michigan Mapping Project: An Emerging Response Technology | Learn more September 22: Tri-County Board of Commissioners Meeting | Learn more September 29: Tri-County’s Regional Workshop for Local Government ARPA Funding | Learn more September 29: LRCC's Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Series | Learn more October 5: Capital Area Regional Transportation Study | Learn more October 6: American Water Works Association’s Asset Management Practices: Where is the Industry, and Benchmarking Your Own Practice | Learn more October 13: Groundwater Management Board Meeting | Learn more October 13: Mid-Michigan Water Authority Meeting | Learn more October 19-20: Michigan Winter Operations Conference | Learn more October 20: EGLE’s Environmental Emergency Preparedness and Response: Preparing for the Worst but Hoping for the Best | Learn more October 27: Tri-County Board of Commissioners Meeting | Learn more October 27: LRCC's Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Series | Learn more October 27-29: Planning Michigan 2021 Annual Conference | Learn more November 2: Capital Area Regional Transportation Study | Learn more November 9: TIP Project Selection Meeting | Learn more November 18: Tri-County Board of Commissioners Meeting | Learn more December 2: Greater Lansing Regional Committee for Stormwater Management Meeting | Learn more December 7-8: National Groundwater Association’s 2021 Groundwater Summit | Learn more December 13-15: National Association of Clean Water Agency’s Water Utility Resilience Forum | Learn more

Special Event Opportunities: Don't miss the first session of the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce's Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Series at 8 a.m. on September 29th! Registration is now open - click here to learn more. Save the date and register for the second installment of the series, scheduled for Wednesday, October 27th at 10 a.m. too!

Still navigating the road to recovery? Don't miss your opportunity to learn how to leverage ARPA funding! This free online workshop on September 29th is your opportunity as a local government agency to learn about the rules of the ARPA Local Fiscal Recovery Fund, explore how to practically manage the funds, and discuss collaboration with local, state, and federal agencies. Be on the lookout for an invitation or learn more on our event page.

Check Out Our Careers Page! We are seeking dynamic, innovative, and driven individuals who are interested in building their career in public planning! Visit our website for more information about our internship program - now considering applicants for fall and beyond. Apply today at mitcrpc.org/careers.

Introducing Our Newest Team Members! We are pleased to introduce our newest addition to the team, Sarah Itani, as the agency’s Communications & Planning Assistant. Itani will be supporting communications initiatives and implementing best practices for visualization, information and data sharing and coordination, and innovative community engagement tools for the agency’s programs and special projects. Learn more about Sarah here. Tri-County also welcomes a new Director of Marketing & Community Engagement. Amanda Hathaway Frattarelli will coordinate the agency’s marketing, publications, social media presence, publications, events, and community engagement and outreach for our programs. Learn more about Amanda here.

Economic Development Program Manager Rachel Elsinga Appointed to Delta Township's West Saginaw Corridor Improvement Authority Tri-County is thrilled to congratulate Economic Development Program Manager Rachel Elsinga for her appointment to a four-year term to the Authority in June as an at-large member! As a resident of Delta Township, Elsinga looks forward to helping revitalize the Saginaw Highway Corridor. The Authority will work to generate new investment along the corridor, improve the attractiveness and desirability of the area, build value for the continued reuse and redevelopment of underutilized sites, and engage and build relationships with businesses and stakeholders.

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Our staff continues to work remotely during this time. Should you have any questions or need to get in touch, please email us at info@mitcrpc.org, or contact the appropriate staff member.

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