Shovel worthy transportation projects, acknowledging past mistakes and why so many crash deaths

On this week’s Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, a conversation with a regular guest, Lloyd Brown. Now working for the consulting firm, HDR, Brown was previously the communications director at the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO).

Recalling his time working for the Washington (state) Department of Transportation and then AASHTO, Brown talks about the opportunities and challenges created by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), signed by President Biden in Michigan last week.

Brown also talks about discussions by U.S Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to incentivize rethinking some urban freeways, which when built, displaced and cut off certain residents. More transportation officials are acknowledging past mistakes made in building infrastructure that isolated communities and are pursuing plans to improve on the past, including MDOT with I-375 in Detroit.

On Tuesday, The New York Times The Daily podcast featured a conversation about similar issues with Clairborne Avenue and the Tremé neighborhood of New Orleans.

Also reprised: the rising number of vehicle crashes, especially crashes resulting in serious injuries and deaths as detailed on the Nov. 10 podcast.

And a Thanksgiving acknowledgement to the staff that takes on extra duties helping to produce and post the podcast each week.