The Oakland County Federal Aid Task Force will conduct its annual meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 13. The Task Force is responsible for selecting road improvement projects to receive federal road funds anticipated to come to Oakland County (assuming a new or extended federal highway bill). It is made up of representatives of the Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC), the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), SMART (the suburban bus system) and all communities in the county. The meeting is open to the public and will take place at 9 a.m. at the Longacre House, 24705 Farmington Road, Farmington Hills.
During the meeting, the Task Force will determine whether or not to issue a call for projects to compete for 2019 federal road funds coming to the county. The projects would have to be on roads that are eligible for federal road funds and under county or local jurisdiction in Oakland County.
Federal road funds are typically programmed three years prior to construction. In recent years, the Task Force entertained only projects that improve the surface of existing roads. Because of insufficient funding, road- widening or new-road projects have not been considered.
A recent report issued by RCOC as a result of the agency’s 2015 Strategic Planning Process shows road needs approaching $2.9 billion just for roads under RCOC jurisdiction. Available federal aid for upcoming road projects is approximately $15 million annually – for roads under RCOC jurisdiction as well as those under city and village jurisdiction across the county, allowing for only modest improvements to the road system.
To view the Strategic Plan report, visit: www.RCOCWeb.org.
For more information on federal road funding, visit: www.OaklandFAC.org.
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