LANSING – In the midst of the budget turmoil and debates over service taxes, school funding and the possibility of a government shutdown, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) seemingly was forgotten.

According to Keith Ledbetter, director of legislative affairs for the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association, MDOT took an 18 percent hit to its budget this year – a roughly $300 million cut.

“The system is broken and has to be fixed,” Ledbetter said of MDOT funding. “Roads are falling apart. We need a solution.”

Nancy Tienvieri, public information officer for the Monroe County Road Commission, said one of the biggest issues in the county is the drainage problem on the side of highways.

She also said the continuous freezing and thawing of roads is extremely damaging and repairing them is expensive.

“Our biggest problem is that we have to improve the road from the bottom up, which is costly,” said Tienvieri.

One possible solution is being pushed by the Drive Michigan campaign to raise fuel taxes.

The campaign is supported by the Michigan Transportation Team, which is comprised of citizens, businesses and associations concerned about the state’s transportation infrastructure.

In order to raise the necessary funds, Drive Michigan proposes a 9-cent gas tax increase over the next three years, bringing it to 28 cents a gallon.

The proposal also suggests the diesel gas tax gradually be increased from 15 to 28 cents a gallon and that vehicle registration fees rise by 50 percent.

Mark Griffin, president of the Michigan Petroleum Association, said the organization is “opposed to any increase in the price of gasoline.”

According to him, the proposal would make the state’s gas tax the highest in the country.

“It would not only hurt the consumers of Michigan, but it would also hurt the small businesses,” said Griffin.

“We hope the Legislature is smart enough not to raise this tax,” he said. “This isn’t a vote for better roads, it is a vote for higher taxes.”

Ledbetter said these measures would raise about $1 billion a year for transportation infrastructure improvements, but even more money would be helpful.

“We are going after the absolute bare minimum,” Ledbetter said. “In all honesty we need about $2.7 billion annually.”

Kirk Steudle, director of MDOT, said “There is a demonstrated need for funding,” although the department is not part of the Drive Michigan coalition.

According to Steudle, 90 percent of Michigan’s roads are in “good” condition, but their condition will begin to deteriorate in the next couple of years if more funding isn’t provided for maintenance.

Transportation funding is a matter of life and death, according to Ledbetter.

“People’s lives will be in jeopardy,” he said, referring to the consequences of not properly maintaining roads.

Potholes and congestion are worsening problems and current procedures aren’t working, said Ledbetter. “We are just talking about putting a Band-Aid over the existing roads we have today.”

Tienvieri agreed that the state of Michigan’s roads need to be addressed and said the Monroe County Road Commission favors the Drive Michigan campaign.

“We absolutely support it because it is our future,” she said.

While it’s a good idea, many people won’t support the proposal because they are unwilling to pay a higher gas tax, Tienvieri added.

She pointed out many people do not realize the gas tax is charged on a per gallon basis, not on price – and as the price of gas has risen, people have consumed less, reducing funding for roads.

Tienvieri said more people would support the proposal if they realized how important it was.

“They are the users of the infrastructure. They are the ones that use the roads,” she said. “I know they don’t understand how important it is and what their responsibility is.”