Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


Bi-partisan bills co-sponsored by a local lawmaker to allow automated speed cameras in construction zones have been signed into law by Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

Governor Whitmer signed six bi-partisan bills this week that aim to make roads safer across the state.

House Bills 4132 and 4133 are co-sponsored by Republican State Representative Mike Mueller of Linden, a former Livingston County Sheriff’s Deputy, and Muskegon Democrat Will Snyder.

The bills aim to reduce crashes and protect construction workers by implementing work zone safety cameras and monitoring speed in marked areas of the road. Michigan will join 23 other states who currently use the technology that officials say has been proven to reduce speeds and protect construction workers.

In 2023 alone, MSP recorded over 8,000 construction work zone-related crashes with 24 fatalities in Michigan.

Muller said "Fixing our road is a top priority in our state. We must protect the workers that are on the front lines making that progress happen.”

Snyder commented “Maintaining Michigan’s roads is vital for our state’s economic development and success. In order to accomplish this, we must first ensure that our road workers are safe while doing their jobs. This legislation will help combat speeding and reckless driving in construction zones, which will protect our essential road workers and drivers alike.”

Signs would warn motorists that the devices are being used. Those going at least 10mph over the speed limit in a work zone while workers are present would be ticketed. A first infraction would result in a written warning. The second would be up to a $150 citation, and up to a $300 ticket for the third - if the violations occur within a three-year period.


Other legislation signed into law included the following:

House Bills 4928, 4929, and 4930, sponsored by state Representative Nate Shannon (D- Sterling Heights) and state Representative Tyrone Carter (D-Detroit), will allow school buses to be equipped with a camera system that will track violations for failure to stop. The bill will allocate the funds raised from violations to return to school districts and be used for transportation safety.

House Bill 5717, sponsored by state Representative Amos O’Neal (D-Saginaw), designates a portion of I-75 in Saginaw County as the Trooper Joel E. Popp Memorial Highway. The bill honors the memory of Joel E. Popp, a Michigan State Police Trooper who died in the line of duty while responding to a traffic accident in January 2024.

Whitmer commented “In Michigan, we’re focused on fixing the damn roads and making sure people are safe as they go to work, drop their kids off at school, and run errands. That’s why I’m proud to sign this set of commonsense, bipartisan bills that better protect safety on the road and will help us reduce crashes, save lives and put money back in people’s pockets. Whether they’re driving on them or working on them, these bills will make sure that every Michigander is safe on our roads.”