[ellie84]

michigan no bats!!

[danielj72]

Originally Posted by Tyryztoll

90% of black bear in Michigan are in the U.P. per the DNR website. I lived in northern lower Michigan for 7 years and never saw one.

The Mackinac Bridge has the potential to be a major terrorist target and has constantly been on alert for this since 9/11. I would also argue that the Ambassador Bridge and Detroit-Windsor Tunnel possess the same target potential, as they are the 2 busiest northern border crossings in the U.S.

I don't know what O.P. defines as "dangerously extreme cold", but if winter temps in northern Michigan especially don't qualify I don't know what does.

I would not worry about the Mackinaw bridge or the ambassador bridge. These are massive structures and it is hard to imagine some garden variety terrorism bringing them down. Next time you cross a bridge like that look at the size of the cables and towers holding them up and you will feel quite safe on those well built American made structures. No car bomb is going to knock them down.

The real issue nationwide is infrastructure maintenance, that is something to worry about. Fifteen years ago a neglected bridge fell into the Mississippi River killing a bunch of drivers in Minnesota. Last year a major dam failure destroyed much of the small town of Sanford Michigan and flooded some of Midland Michigan. Of course we are all watching the horror show unfold right now in Florida with a whole building falling down. Lack of maintenance and inspections is far more dangerous than any terrorist with his bomb. A well built structure like the Mackinaw bridge can likely take a blow from a terrorist bomb but if it were not maintained for 50 years that would be its undoing. They say their are thousands of dams, bridges and other structures that are listed as being at risk from deferred maintenance. This really is something to worry about.

[Nattering Heights]

Originally Posted by danielj72

The real issue nationwide is infrastructure maintenance, that is something to worry about.

Less worrying and more planning. The nation is losing the wealth and resources to maintain all that stuff. Then it goes back to what it had before that infrastructure, such as ferries across rivers and straits, and generally more water traffic as highways disintegrate and diesel trucks disappear.

[danielj72]

Originally Posted by Nattering Heights

Less worrying and more planning. The nation is losing the wealth and resources to maintain all that stuff. Then it goes back to what it had before that infrastructure, such as ferries across rivers and straits, and generally more water traffic as highways disintegrate and diesel trucks disappear.

We have billions to hand out in “stimulus” and we cannot maintain necessary infrastructure? One of the key differences between a first world nation and a third world nation is infrastructure. The collapse of the Florida building and the Michigan dam failure are not the kind of things that should happen in a first world country.

[Angry-Koala]

Originally Posted by Nattering Heights

Rough roads and malfunctioning stoplights are temporary inconveniences in the declining years of the car age. Blackouts will also have diminishing effect as electricity becomes more expensive and people use less or none. Rebuilding public transit will take some time and money. The flooding could be more of a challenge. The costs of filling in basements under structures, moving the structures to new foundations, or knocking them down and building new structures will need some input from engineers, architects, and building contractors. The larger scale work is deciding which areas will be left to be permanently or mostly wet, maybe with some paddy rice, fish farms, canal traffic, etc.

I'm trying to imagine someone relying on public transit in the UP. Hmm...

Nope.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by Angry-Koala

I'm trying to imagine someone relying on public transit in the UP. Hmm...

Nope.

Maybe they have one or two city buses in Marquette, but I'm certain the routes would be very limited.

[Angry-Koala]

Originally Posted by GraniteStater

Maybe they have one or two city buses in Marquette, but I'm certain the routes would be very limited.

They have a surprisingly large variety of options for such a sparsely populated area, but not enough to make doing without a car practical.

List of U.P. transportation options: https://www.december.com/places/up/transit.html

[MichiganGreg]

Originally Posted by ellie84

michigan no bats!!

The mosquitos would eat them, anyway...

(just kidding; actually, we DO have bats in northern lower! I love the little critters).

[mjlo]

Originally Posted by MichiganGreg

The mosquitos would eat them, anyway...

(just kidding; actually, we DO have bats in northern lower! I love the little critters).

Bats are actually quite common all across the state. They are invaluable for insect control.

[Coldjensens]

Originally Posted by Angry-Koala

I'm trying to imagine someone relying on public transit in the UP. Hmm...

Nope.

Dogsled lines.