LANSING, Mich. -- State Senator Mark Schauer joined colleagues from both sides of the aisle yesterday to call for fair federal funding for Michigan’s roads and drivers. He cosponsored Senate Resolution 194, which calls on Congress to increase transportation resources for our state.

“It’s about time Michigan consumers get their fair share of road funding from Washington,” said Schauer. “Because we continue to pay in more than we get back, our consumers drive on worse roads and end up paying even more in gas because of it.”

Roads in poor condition are less efficient for vehicles, with some estimates finding that rough roads can reduce gas mileage up to 30 percent. With spiking gas prices, increased funding for road improvements will help ease transportation costs on all consumers.

Michigan has been a “donor state” regarding transportation dollars for many years, subsidizing transportation projects in other states and sending more money out of Michigan than is taken in. In fact, only 92 cents of every dollar Michigan contributes in federal taxes is returned to us for road projects.

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