Driving around Lansing has become a bumpy experience for residents, with potholes forcing many to seek costly repairs at local auto shops.
- Lansing's pothole-ridden roads are causing costly car repairs.
- Michigan's new budget includes $23M to fix local streets in Lansing.
- Auto shops welcome repairs, hoping it saves drivers money long-term.
WATCH: Lansing Gets $23M to Fix Potholes: Where's it coming from
"You know you're in your own car — you can't avoid them. You can't avoid these potholes," said Jerry Carpenter, owner of Liskey's Auto and Truck Service.
The persistent road damage has been driving business to Carpenter's shop, as modern vehicles struggle with the deteriorating street conditions.
"Cars today are a lot lighter than they used to be, so potholes can do a fair amount of damage to a car," Carpenter said.
While Carpenter has noticed highway improvements marked by orange construction cones, local streets have been largely neglected.
"The highways are getting a lot of repair, but we haven't seen a lot of local, in-town, repair," Carpenter said.
That's about to change with Michigan's newly signed state budget, which includes a dedicated neighborhood road fund targeting local infrastructure from residential driveways to major highways.
"We got almost $2 billion going to our local roads — it's weighted to our local roads and it benefits all districts including the rural districts," said Republican Speaker of the House Matt Hall.
Lansing will receive $23 million from this funding initiative. Democratic Mayor Andy Schor says the additional resources will significantly expand the city's road repair capabilities.
"So for us that means new roads get fixed, it means we'll do more work, more projects," Schor said.
While improved roads may eventually reduce business at auto repair shops, Carpenter welcomes the change.
"Hopefully it'll save some people some money in the long run," Carpenter said.
For drivers currently navigating Lansing's pothole-filled streets, Carpenter offers practical advice: slow down as you approach a pothole and release the brake just as you drive over it.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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