Local residents will have a chance to speak up and have their opinions heard on the future of transportation in the state during a special upcoming town hall meeting.

The Michigan Department of Transportation is holding two telephone town halls that will give residents the opportunity to share input on MDOT’s long-range transportation plan, known as Michigan Mobility 2045. The plan will establish a vision and priorities for transportation over the next 25 years.

For the town hall meetings, registered voters will be targeted by area codes to receive calls for participation. Those who are particularly interested in taking part can further opt in by completing a registration form that can be found at www.michiganmobility.org/#townhall, or by calling (517) 335-4381. Residents who are randomly selected will be notified by a text message to their mobile phone. The messages will provide information on how to participate, as well as instructions for opting out of future messages.

Each of the telephone town halls will begin with an overview of the planning process, and then residents will be called randomly through an automated system. Those selected can ask questions or share their ideas with MDOT, which is seeking the opinions of a large and diverse group of residents and stakeholders.

The first telephone town hall meeting will take place on Tuesday, February 5, at 7pm. The second one is scheduled for the following morning, Wedneday, February 6, at 10am. For more information on the Michigan Mobilty 2045 plan, including a copy of it in its current state, visit the link below. (MK)