Page 7 - LRCC June 2021 Focus

MEMBER NEWS

County Road

Association:

Committed to

Downtown Lansing

or 103 years, the County Road Association of Michigan (CRA)
has been helping the 83 county road agencies in the state
promote and maintain a safe, efficient county road and bridge
Fsystem, including stewardship of the county road right-of-way
in rural and urban Michigan.

CRA and the road agency-affiliated workers compensation fund
CRASIF, recently decided to move from its former space on Seymour
Street in Lansing to the heart of the downtown. One year ago, the
CRA moved into a new headquarters at 101 S. Washington Square.

“We wanted to have a higher profile in the legislative dialogue, so Whatever the final infrastructure solution looks like, CRA is in the perfect location
we made the move to what we call the ‘legislative corridor’,” said Denise Donohue, to be in the thick of the action representing its member’s agencies across the state of
executive director, CRA. “We are at the corner of Michigan and Washington, which Michigan. n
is the intersection of where things happen for transportation policy.”

The Covid-19 pandemic brought an interesting twist for the CRA. In March of
2020, CRA had its highway conference at the Lansing Center, which turned out to
be one of the last large conferences in Michigan in 2020. A unique financial
road requires
“While we were meeting at the end of the second day, is when Michigan announced
its first two positive cases,” said Donohue. “None of us realized what was coming. We unique
came away from that conference with 1,200 people and no illnesses, thankfully.”
financial
The Covid-19 pandemic did delay the CRA’s planned move to the new headquarters guidance.
until May 1. Donohue notes that downtown Lansing hasn’t been quite the same
since the Covid-19 outbreak, but is hopeful that more people will recognize the _
importance of returning to traditional office space and helping create a rebound for
the downtown district.

CRA’s new headquarters creates what Donohue calls an industrial vibe that is
consistent with the look and feel of a road commission which consists of large garages
and road equipment. The space features stone walls, county road signs, conference
room carpet that looks like tire tracks with yellow striping. The facility includes state-
of-the-art television and video conferencing equipment. Each team member has a
private office with glass doors and all the needed safety protection dictated by the
Covid pandemic.

CRA is at the heart of the long-running policy debate over infrastructure funding in
Michigan. The state is in the fifth and final year of the 2015 $1.2 billion transportation
funding package.

“When the bill was signed, everyone felt that was a good first step,” said Donohue.
“The governor and the legislature seemed committed to finishing the job that started
in 2015.”
We recognize the complex financial paths of the LGBTQ+ community. From saving for what’s
Donohue is pleased the state resisted the temptation to reduce its infrastructure important to planning for unique and costly life moments, we’re committed to helping those
commitment to fill a $600 million gap created by the Covid pandemic. She is also in the community take control of their finances and face their futures with confidence.
encouraged by the tenor of discussions towards a fix for Michigan’s bridge system. Learn more at pnc.com/LGBTQ
©2021 The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
“We’ve got a serious bridge problem apart from the potholes on the roads,” said PNC Bank, National Association. Member FDIC
Donohue. “We still have a one-billion-dollar problem with our local bridges.”

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