TRANSPORTATION (SMATS)

The Saginaw County Planning Department serves as the governing body of the Saginaw Metropolitan Area Transportation Study (SMATS). In this capacity, the Commission reviews the various local transportation planning documents required by the State and Federal Government.

The Saginaw Metropolitan Area Transportation Study (SMATS), formed in 1965, is a cooperative effort by Federal, State, and local agencies to plan for transportation improvements in the Saginaw urban area. SMATS planning activities fall into three categories: long range planning (up to 20 years); short range planning and Transportation Improvement Programming (up to five years), and annual or ongoing efforts. There are currently ten townships and two cities located within the SMATS boundary:

City of Saginaw City of Zilwaukee

Bridgeport Township Buena Vista Township

Carrollton Township James Township

Kochville Township Saginaw Township

Spaulding Township Thomas Township

Tittabawassee Township Zilwaukee Township

The metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) provides a summary of how transportation revenues in the program will be invested over a three year period by the state and local agencies who have legal responsibility to build, operate, and maintain the state=s highway, road, street, and public transit systems. Federally-funded expenditures are required by federal law to be consistent with the Long Range Plan and to be constrained to include only projects that we anticipate having enough revenue to complete.

The total investment of state, local, and federal revenue in the SMATS transportation system for the three year period is more than 50 million dollars. A portion of this money is used to maintain and operate the transportation systems. The remainder is for capital projects.

Federal regulations require the TIP to be financially constrained by fiscal year. The State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) must demonstrate that there is enough money available each year to fund projects listed in the TIP for the year.

Saginaw County Planning is also proud to be involved in the development of the Saginaw Valley Rail Trail. Click on Icon for more information.