Senator Peters Secures Michigan Wins in Bipartisan Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Appropriations Bill

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, helped the Senate pass the Fiscal Year 2026 Transportation, Housing, Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. The bipartisan legislation provides funding for Michigan priorities, high-impact, local public projects, and federal programs that support key transportation, workforce, and housing initiatives. The legislation also helps bolster auto safety and innovation, as well as safe, reliable air service in Michigan and across the country.

"Whether it's our roadways, airports, or local public transit, Michigan communities depend on reliable transportation infrastructure to get where they need to go. This bill will promote safer travel across our state and region, while putting guardrails in place to prevent the Trump Administration from cutting funding for important transportation programs that benefit our state," said Senator Peters, a member of the Appropriations Committee and Ranking Member of the Commerce Subcommittee on Surface Transportation, Freight, Pipelines, and Safety. "I was also proud to secure funding for local projects across Michigan that will support housing affordability, job creation, and safe drinking water in our communities."

The bill includes numerous measures led and supported by Peters, including:

Strengthening Michigan Air Service & Airport Safety

Defending Essential Air Service from Administration Cuts: The bill fully funds the Essential Air Service Program (EAS) and includes a new provision authored by Peters that prevents the Trump Administration from cutting, renegotiating, or otherwise altering an existing EAS airport contract unless it is requested by the community it serves. This provision helps defend Michigan communities from being targeted by the Trump Administration's promise to cut $308 million from the EAS program. Michigan has nine communities eligible for the Essential Air Service program: Alpena, Escanaba, Hancock/Houghton, Iron Mountain/Kingsford, Ironwood, Manistee/Ludington, Muskegon, Pellston, and Sault Ste. Marie.

New Funding for Outdated Air Traffic Control Towers: In the wake of the tragic Washington, DC plane crash in January 2025, Peters worked to secure an additional $50 million in the bill to expedite replacement of aging and unsafe air traffic control towers at individual airports. Several commercial airports in Michigan have air traffic control towers that are over 60 years old. Peters also secured a nearly $1 billion increase in funding for aviation facilities and equipment to address our air traffic control modernization backlog, while ensuring a safer and more efficient experience for customers.

Upgrading Jet Bridges at Lansing's Capital Region Airport: The bill includes nearly $8 million for Capital Region International Airport in Lansing. Specifically, this funding will be used to design, acquire, and install new passenger boarding bridges.

Supporting Expansion at Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids: Peters secured $800,000 for upgrades to the Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids. This funding will be used to install the second of two baggage claim devices to expand existing capacity and prepare for the airport's expansion of international flights.?

Upgrading Michigan's Transportation & Shipping Infrastructure

Rebuilding the Saginaw Road Bridge: Peters successfully secured $955,000 to replace the Saginaw Road Bridge which was severely damaged by flooding in 2020. The bridge is the primary east-west route over the Tittabawassee River connecting the cities of Midland, Coleman, and Clare.

Reconstruction of Mound Road from 8 Mile to I-696: Peters secured $750,000 to support the second phase of the Mound Road reconstruction project, which is improving a corridor in Warren that serves critical defense and manufacturing entities.

Upgrading Detroit Public Transit: Peters secured $3,000,000 for the City of Detroit to fund the early phases of developing of a new intermodal bus and rail passenger facility at Michigan Central Station in Detroit. Peters also secured an additional $2.6 million to extend and build new dedicated transit lanes on Woodward Avenue to expand public transportation along the corridor. This funding will help upgrade the city's crucial public transit systems and improve transit time for Detroit residents.

Improving Efficiency at Port of Monroe: Peters secured $3.6 million for infrastructure improvements at the Port of Monroe that would enhance the port's export capacity, improve logistics efficiency, and strengthen shipping in the Great Lakes region.

Bolstering Automotive Innovation and Improving Roadway Safety

Supporting Bus Safety in Grand Rapids: Peters secured $750,000 for Grand Rapids to equip public transit buses with collision avoidance and pedestrian alert technology that will improve transit safety in the community.

Funding to Accelerate Safe and Transparent Deployment of Automated Driving Systems: Peters secured $13.9 million for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) Office of Automation Safety to expedite the safe development of automated driving systems by setting safety standards, evaluating exemption petitions, and overseeing safety demonstrations.

Improving Transparency of Vehicle Safety Technology Performance: Peters secured $3.5 million for NHTSA's Partnership for Analytics Research in Traffic Safety (PARTS) Program. The program focuses on collaboration between automakers and federal agencies to share data on, and improve the performance of, advanced driver assistance systems. Peters also secured language in the bill encouraging NHTSA to include additional leading-edge driver assistance systems and autonomous driving systems in the program.

Supporting the Motorcycle Advisory Council: Peters secured a provision in the bill directing NHTSA to report to Congress within 180 days on the status of the Motorcycle Advisory Council. Peters' Motorcycle Advisory Council Act passed as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, requiring the Department of Transportation to form an Advisory Council where motorcyclists would advise the Department on a range of issues, including motorcycle and motorcyclist safety. Peters is an avid motorcycle rider. He helped found and currently co-chairs the bipartisan Senate Motorcycle Caucus.

Improving Vehicle Recall Outreach to Protect Driver and Roadway Safety: Data indicates that as many as 1 in 5 cars on the road have an open recall. Peters secured language requiring NHTSA to improve and expand its recall outreach to states, including by expanding the reach of the State Process for Informing Consumers of Recalls grant program. The bill also include language to better utilize Over the Air (OTA) updates to increase recall repair rates.

Reducing Deaths and Serious Roadway Injuries: The bill directs the Department of Transportation to incentivize and accelerate the deployment of cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) technologies, which connect vehicles to other vehicles as well as the infrastructure around them. This technology enables school bus safety and collision avoidance, while improving emergency responder response times and pedestrian, bicyclist, and motorcyclist safety.

Improving NHTSA Operations: Peters secured language in the bill directing NHTSA, in collaboration with the National Academy of Public Administration, to conduct a review of its processes and identify opportunities for improvement. The report will focus on challenges currently facing the agency. This includes the timeliness of response to congressional directives, expertise in research and enforcement of regulations, and putting more emphasis on performance and outcomes.

Improving Bridge Infrastructure in Ypsilanti: Peters secured $250,000 in the bill to support the City of Ypsilanti's Cross Street and Prospect Street Bridge Rehabilitation Project. The funding will be used to replace the upper framework of both bridges, which will remove load and traffic restrictions currently in place for vehicles traveling on the bridge.

Reconstruction Along Silverwood Road in Lapeer: The bill includes $3.1 million for Lapeer County Road Commission to support reconstruction and resurfacing of approximately 6 miles of Silverwood Road between Clifford Road and Castle Road.

Resurfacing Patterson Avenue in Cascade Township: Peters secured $250,000 to support the Kent County Road Commission's Patterson Avenue Resurfacing project. The funding will be used to improve deteriorating pavement surface along a high-volume roadway.

Expanding Affordable Housing for Michigan Residents

Building Affordable Housing Units in Southfield: Peters secured $1.2 million to support the City of Southfield's Garner Street Housing Development, which will add units of single and multi-family housing for low- to moderate-income city residents.

Supporting Affordable Housing for Seniors in Detroit: Peters secured $500,000 for the City of Detroit to support construction of the Archdale Senior Affordable Housing Project.

Revitalizing Lewis Street Corridor in Flint: Peters secured $2 million for development of the Flint Eastside Market and Residential Units Project. This funding would be used to develop multiple affordable housing units as well as commercial space for small businesses and entrepreneurs on the Lewis Street corridor of Flint.

Supporting Substance Use Recovery for Tribal Members: Peters secured $574,000 for the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians. The funding would be used for planning and design of a long-term housing facility to support substance abuse recovery for Tribal members. The facility would provide persons recovering from substance abuse and related issues with stable housing to facilitate long-term recovery.

Modernizing Berston Field House: The bill includes over $6.3 million in funding secured by Peters to support the ongoing Berston Field House Expansion and Renovation Project in Flint. The funding will help renovate the 100-year-old historic site and build a new state-of-the-art recreation and community center to expand services, amenities, programming, and opportunities to serve more people.

Increasing Housing Options for At-Risk Youth in Southfield: The bill includes $850,000 to help create supporting housing units for young people aging out of foster care services. The project also includes construction of a connected community health center.

Expanding Funding for Homeless Assistance Grants: Peters fought for and successfully secured nearly $4.5 billion in Homeless Assistance Grants (HAG). These grants provide funding for Continuums of Care, which are local planning bodies that coordinate housing and services to help families and individuals experiencing homelessness.

Investing in Our Communities, Streamlining the Grant Applicant Process: The bill includes $3.3 billion for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, which provides funding to support affordable housing developments in urban communities. Peters also secured language in the bill emphasizing the need for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to reduce the administrative complexities of its programs, which would make grants more accessible to Michigan communities.

Improving Response to the Homelessness Crisis: The bill includes language requiring HUD to examine using digital options to help improve the accuracy of its annual Point-in-Time (PIT) count, which determines the total number of individuals experiencing homelessness in the United States. Currently, the PIT count is conducted during winter months, when cold weather states like Michigan often see its lowest population of individuals experiencing homelessness. This provision will ensure that HUD explores changes to its system that will more accurately reflect homelessness experienced in each state over the course of the entire year to help improve access to the resources needed to effectively address homelessness.

Protecting Michigan's Vital Ecosystems and Improving Access to Clean Water

Supporting PFOS Contamination Cleanup in Bay City: Peters secured $959,000 for Bay City's PFOS contamination cleanup efforts. This funding would support the excavation and demolition of the city's existing fire station, where PFOS contamination was detected.

Replacing Ecorse Creek Bridge and Culvert: Peters secured $2.5 million for the Downriver Community Conference to support the Ecorse Creek ecosystem restoration project. This funding would help remove and replace bridges and culverts that contribute to flooding in the area to alleviate flooding in the North Branch Ecorse Creek watershed.

Replacing Lead Service Lines in Redford Township: Peters secured $2 million in the bill to support replacement of lead water service lines currently in use across Redford Township.

Expanding Opportunities for Job Training, Workforce Development Initiatives

Promoting Aviation Careers for Women: The bill includes language that supports reauthorization of the Bessie Coleman Women in Aviation Advisory Committee, which was created to help recruit and retain women in careers that are key to the safety of our aviation system. Currently, less than 12 percent of aerospace engineers, less than 10 percent of licensed pilots, and less than 3 percent of maintenance technicians are women. These fields are also experiencing a critical workforce shortage, driven in part by this gender gap. This provision builds on Peters' Promoting Women in Aviation Act, bipartisan legislation passed into law that made permanent the Women in Aviation Advisory Committee.

Expanding Access to Maritime Workforce Training: Peters secured $4.8 million for the Maritime Administration's Student Incentive Payment (SIP) Program, which helps cadets offset the cost of tuition, uniforms, books, and living costs. Last year, Peters' CADETS Act was signed into law, which expands the eligibility age for the SIP Program to include any qualified student who will meet the age requirements for enlistment in the U.S. Navy Reserve at their time of graduation, and ensures that high-performing, non-traditional cadets can receive this funding.

Upgrading Albion STEM Center: Peters helped secure $500,000 in the bill to support necessary structural and mechanical repairs at the City of Albion's Learning STEM Center, which will improve the safety and accessibility of the facility.

Increasing Transportation Options for Michiganders

Keeping Pedestrians Safe: Peters secured $1 million for construction of the Red Run Park Bridge in Sterling Heights. The funding will construct a non-motorized bridge connecting the Baumgartner Sports Complex to the planned Red Run Park in Sterling Heights, providing safe, non-motorized access to recreational space and to a nearby Smart Bus transit route for commuters.

Improving the Ypsilanti Transit Center: Peters secured $750,000 to support the reconstruction of the Ypsilanti Transit Center to improve safety and security features.

Connecting Grand Rapids Neighborhoods: Peters worked to secure $250,000 to support construction of a pedestrian bridge in Grand Rapids. This transformational project will provide a safe transportation choice for pedestrians while linking two downtown neighborhoods.

Improving Non-Motorized Transportation in Livonia: The bill includes $850,000 for the City of Livonia. Specifically, the funding will be used to widen Stark Road to include a non-motorized lane for bikers and walkers. The project will help link Livonia to surrounding communities across a 36 square mile region.

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