MICHIGAN'S BARGAIN FEES FOR OVERWEIGHT JONKER TRUCKS NEED REVIEW, SAYS MICHIGAN GOVERNOR RICK SNYDER

MICHIGAN'S BARGAIN FEES FOR OVERWEIGHT JONKER TRUCKS NEED REVIEW, SAYS MICHIGAN GOVERNOR RICK SNYDER

08/08/13, Freep.com

LANSING — Gov. Rick Snyder said Wednesday that Michigan should review the nominal permit fees it charges overweight trucks that chew up the state’s roads.

The governor’s comments were in response to a Free Press report Sunday showing that the $50 permits are a bargain compared with neighboring states. It also showed that fines for overweight trucks don’t even go toward repairing roads, but to the local library system where the fine was issued.

Snyder said it’s premature to say the fees should be increased, but two key House lawmakers handling transportation issues — one Republican and one Democrat — said Wednesday that the fees need to go up.

Rep. Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and Rep. Marilyn Lane, D-Fraser, the committee vice chairwoman, said it’s difficult to sell Snyder’s proposal to raise an extra $1.2 billion a year in road revenues by increasing fuel taxes and vehicle registration fees until inequities such as overweight truck permit fees are addressed.

“We’re looking at adjusting some of those fees,” Schmidt told the Free Press. However, “you could double them and it’s not going to make much difference.”

The Michigan Department of Transportation raised $4.5 million from the sale of about 104,000 special permits for oversize and overweight trucks in the 2011-12 fiscal year. Overweight loads accounted for more than 41,000 of the permits and generated about $2.7 million.

Lane said she’s working on bills to increase the permit fees. She said she wants to address another issue raised in the two-day Free Press series — changing fines for overweight trucks so repeat offenders pay more. She said she also wants to address inequities in vehicle registration fees she has researched.

“All I am asking for everybody is to have parity and fairness,” said Lane, who considers herself pro-business and a supporter of the trucking and construction industries. “This is crazy.”

The Free Press reported Sunday that Michigan, which perpetually has some of the worst roads in the country, has the highest gross weight limit for trucks in the nation, at 164,000 pounds — more than double the national limit. And in 2012, MDOT issued 6,992 single-trip permits for trucks weighing more than that.

The heaviest load allowed in Michigan in 2011-12 was 1.5 million pounds.

Unlike neighboring states Ohio, Indiana and Wisconsin — which sell permits for overweight trucks on a sliding scale based on weight, distance or both — Michigan charges a flat $50.

Michigan, unlike Ohio, never has tried to quantify how much damage the super-heavy loads cause, officials said.

Many readers responded with outrage.

Lee Embrey, who lives near Waterford, said roads near his home are in deplorable condition because of overweight trucks using them to avoid weigh stations on I-75.

“I am a taxpayer and am tired of paying to redo these roads constantly for these scofflaws,” said Embrey, who sells luxury homes.

Snyder, who spoke to the Free Press while attending an automotive seminar in Acme, said legislative committees are the best venue for airing such issues. He said he “wouldn’t want to automatically just say” the permit fees should be increased.

“You have the question about how many jobs are created with the commerce that comes out of this,” he said.

Walter Heinritzi, executive director of the Michigan Trucking Association, said he and the industry are prepared to work with lawmakers and look at any proposed changes.

MDOT spokesman Jeff Cranson said department officials “are eager to work with lawmakers, answer their questions and provide any data we have as they explore policies related to the transport of commerce and its impact on state roadways.”

Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or pegan@freepress.com