Senator Peters visits Lansing to discuss funding for infrastructure

LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — Michigan U.S. Senator Gary Peters made a stop at the capital city today. He met with city officials, and local business leaders as part of what he calls the “Building a Stronger Michigan” tour.

Peter says he is focused on rebuilding Michigan’s infrastructure. He is asking leaders what they need when it comes to fixing things like roads, bridges, and internet access.

“As the federal government I think it’s a really important time to make this kind of long-term investments,” said Peters. “These are investments that are going to last 30, 40, 50 years. They’re going to transform communities. That’s why we have to do it now.”

Senator Peters held a roundtable where city officials shared their main concerns. The biggest one is fixing the roads.

This all comes as the U.S. Senate begins working on new infrastructure legislation.

“It was very clear from our discussion that it’s more than that, it’s also the infrastructure. You need to have sewer systems updated particularly in older communities and that’s something that has to happen. You have to have broadband internet but also looking at the future. I heard a lot about electrification in order to create more resiliency, renewable energy when were dealing with climate change. Part of that infrastructure will be part of the bill,” said Peters.

Lansing mayor Andy Schor says it would cost $300 million just to fix the city roads.

“If you live in the neighborhoods, you say hey look at my street and the potholes and I tell them we got 300 million dollars in need, we get about $12 million a year,” said Mayor Schor. “We can’t fix your street because we don’t get enough money to do that. It’s just not enough, so I can’t fix every neighborhood road. I can do some of the main roads.”

Peters also got the chance to tour Michigan Ave. and see what needs to be done around the area.

“Dollars like this from the federal government are going to allow us to fix our infrastructure put people to work doing it and really help to transform this city and every city in Michigan,” said Schor.

Senator Peters also said he hopes the senate is able to pass a major infrastructure in the next few months.

“We’re hoping we’ll be able to pass something out of the senate in the next month or two to provide resources to help local communities, to help the greater Lansing area invest in roads and bridges and high speed broadband internet, looking at sewer systems, looking at really the broad range of infrastructure necessary to have a 21st century economy,” said Peters.