In an April 15th 12-9 vote, the WATS Policy Committee has approved MDOT's US-23 improvement plan.  Further approval is now in the hands of SEMCOG.

UPDATE: At the April 28th Board of Trustees meeting, Township Manager Fink reported that SEMCOG has also approved the US-23 corridor improvement plan.

UPDATE: June 30, 2015: The U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, issued a Finding of No Significant Impact [FONSI] for the U.S. 23 corridor improvements project.

In an April 15th 12-9 vote, the WATS Policy Committee has approved MDOT's US-23 improvement plan.  Further approval is now in the hands of SEMCOG.

According to MLive.com, votes against the project were cast by "Representatives from the Cities of Ann Arbor, Saline, Chelsea and Ypsilanti."  They were joined by representatives from Ann Arbor Township, Dexter Township, the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority and the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority.  Washtenaw County Commissioner Yousef Rabhi also voted no.

What is WATS?  The Washtenaw Area Traffic Study is the most local of the trans-municipal authorities whose approval is necessary to spend federal highway dollars.  Its work product is a Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) linking short term goals to short term funding availability.  They also produce a Long Range Plan, extending to the year 2040.

As Township Manager Fink explained at the March 24th Board Meeting, he sits on the WATS Policy Committee.  The 9 votes against even this most improvisational of road improvements demonstrated the deep disagreement between the various constituencies. 

Ben Freed of the Ann Arbor News/MLive.com also reported this:

"Northfield Township has been the largest supporter of this project, besides MDOT" - Washtenaw County Road Commission managing director Roy Townsend.