Long stretch of I-96 to close for overhaul in 2014

[cramerro]

There is a magic formula: Economics.

You can choose to ignore economics, and ignore the benefits of efficient trade and transportation. In a few years, you might notice that someone else is doing better.

There's no doubt whatsoever in my mind that the Interstate Highway System created wealth in the USA.

I will quickly join those who find things to criticize. They placement of freeways. The overuse for long-haul freight [[better done via rail.) The failure to include mass transit into the mix. Much is done wrong each and every day.

But for all that, we are wealthier because of good transportation.

Keeping in line with the "magic" part... economics is not magically tied to highway funding. The only magic formula is the highway engineering manual that says all your roads have to be Level of Service C or you have to expand them.

Now, your last statement is still valid, we are wealthier becuase of good TRANSPORTATION... but becuase the "good" part for Detroit area is highways only, we are not as wealthy as we would be if all of our transportation was better. I could even argue that if all of our transportation was 'just OK' instead of highways 'good' and everything else 'blows,' we would be much better off.

Detroit has less congestion than other cities... you could extrapolate that to say that other cities have spent less proportionately to expand thier way out of congestion based on the fact that they have a lot while we have a little. Now compare the economic success of Detroit and its suburbs to any other city and suburbs that has highways and more investment in transit and frieght [[which would be all of them) and tell me that we're better off for having what we do.