Washtenaw County Road Commission

What Washtenaw County Road Commission does

Washtenaw County Road Commission (WCRC) is the statutorily designated county-level road agency responsible for maintaining all primary and local public roads outside city and village limits in Washtenaw County, Michigan. WCRC maintains approximately 1,650 miles of certified public roads (including 743 miles of unpaved roads), 126 bridges, 2,500+ culverts, 250+ traffic signals, and 30,000+ traffic control signs. The organization is contracted by the Michigan Department of Transportation to provide routine maintenance such as snow plowing and pothole patching on 598 lane-miles of state highways that traverse the county. Operations are delivered by 136 staff across three departments - Operations, Engineering, and Administration - under a Managing Director and a five-member Board of County Road Commissioners appointed by the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners.

WCRC's service portfolio encompasses snow and ice removal, pavement resurfacing, dust control, gravel road grading, pothole patching, sign and signal maintenance, pavement markings, guardrail repair, roadside vegetation control, storm drainage, and road and bridge construction. Citizen-facing digital tools include the WCRC Fix It mobile application (built on the SeeClickFix platform) for non-emergency issue reporting and request tracking, an interactive project map for construction visibility, and an online portal for right-of-way and transportation permits (delivered through Oxcart Permit Systems). Community engagement is extended through programs such as Paint-a-Plow and Adopt-A-County-Road.

The agency operates as a publicly funded, tax-supported entity rather than a commercial business. Revenue is sourced from the Michigan Transportation Fund (formula-based allocation from vehicle registration fees and the state gas tax), state and federal grants (CMAQ, HSIP, TAP, Local Bridge Program, Safe Streets for All), voter-approved county millages (a four-year 0.5 mill Roads and Non-Motorized Millage generating approximately $10.99 million annually for 2025-2028), MDOT contract payments, township contributions through a Local Road Matching Program covering all 20 county townships, and permit fees for driveways, utilities, oversize/overweight vehicles, and miscellaneous right-of-way work. Pricing for permits is unit-based and publicly disclosed, with no subscription or recurring commercial model.

Name

Washtenaw County Road Commission

Legal name

Washtenaw County Road Commission

Website

https://wcroads.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1919

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Washtenaw County Road Commission is a county-level government road agency in Michigan that maintains 1,650 miles of public roads, 126 bridges, and supporting infrastructure for county residents, 20 townships, and an MDOT state-highway contract.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Road Maintenance Services

SIC

Asphalt Paving & Roofing Materials (2950)

akta.pro primary industry

Road & Highway Authorities (Planning, Construction, Maintenance) (BPAIALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Works Departments (Streets, Bridges, Stormwater, Fleet, Maintenance) (BPAIALAD), Public Works & Municipal Infrastructure (Streets, Stormwater, Facilities) (BPAIACAF)

Keywords

• Public road maintenance
• Road infrastructure services
• Winter snow removal
• Transportation permits
• Traffic operations management

Headquarters

HQ city

Ann Arbor

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Michigan Transportation Fund (MTF): Primary funding source supported by vehicle registration fees and Michigan state gas tax. WCRC's allocation is based on a formula including population and miles of certified roads.
2. State/Federal Grants: Funding for road improvements from various state and federal grant programs including MDOT Congestion Mitigation/Air Quality, Highway Safety Improvement Program, Local Bridge Program, and Transportation Alternatives Program.
3. County-wide Roads and Non-Motorized Millage: Voter-approved 0.5 mill property tax for roads and non-motorized pathways. Currently generating $10.99 million annually for 2025-2028 period.
4. Township Contributions: Local township funding for road improvements, particularly for local/subdivision roads where state funding is limited.
5. MDOT Contract: WCRC is contracted by Michigan Department of Transportation to provide routine maintenance (snow plowing, pothole patching) on 598 lane-miles of state highways.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Washtenaw County Road Commission is the county-level government road agency responsible for maintaining approximately 1,650 miles of certified public roads (including 743 miles of unpaved roads), 126 bridges, and 2,500+ culverts within Washtenaw County, Michigan. Its core services include snow and ice removal, pavement resurfacing, pothole patching, grading, traffic signal and sign maintenance, roadside vegetation control, right-of-way permitting, and contracted state highway maintenance for MDOT. Citizen engagement is facilitated through the WCRC Fix It mobile app, the agency website, and a permitting services portal.

Product overview

Washtenaw County Road Commission (WCRC) provides public road infrastructure services rather than a traditional software product. The primary citizen-facing service is the WCRC Fix It App, a mobile application powered by SeeClickFix technology that enables residents to report road issues. Core services include road and bridge maintenance across approximately 1,650 miles of certified public roads (including 743 miles of unpaved roads), snow and ice removal, traffic signal and sign management, permit processing for right-of-way and transportation permits, and community programs such as Adopt-A-County-Road and Paint-a-Plow. The organization also provides an interactive Current Projects Map for tracking construction projects, and manages seasonal services including roadside mowing and vegetation control.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WCRC Fix It: Mobile application for reporting non-emergency road issues including potholes, signal problems, and other road concerns

Products and services

• Road Maintenance Services Comprehensive road and bridge maintenance across approximately 1,650 miles of certified public roads in Washtenaw County, including dust control, gravel road grading, pavement resurfacing, pothole patching, storm drainage, tree removal, road and bridge construction, sign and signal maintenance, pavement markings, and guardrail repairs.
• Snow & Ice Removal Winter maintenance service clearing over 1,649 miles of county roads using a priority system: highways and paved roads first, followed by subdivision and gravel roads. Provided to motorists and residents during the winter season.
• Traffic Signal Maintenance Maintenance, repair, and installation of approximately 200-250 traffic signals and flashing beacons throughout Washtenaw County, supporting safe traffic operations for motorists.
• Traffic Sign Management Installation, repair, and maintenance of approximately 30,000 traffic control signs across the county, including legends, symbols, and pavement markings over roughly 2,000 miles.
• Right-of-Way Permits Processing of right-of-way permits for residential and commercial driveway approaches, utility installations (overhead and underground), service connections, sanitary/water/storm sewer connections, surveying, landscaping, and road closure for parades and events. Standardized unit pricing.
• Transportation Permits Permits issued for commercial vehicle traffic exceeding size and weight limitations on county roads, including single moves, multiple trip permits, seasonal permits, building and special load moves, and designated haul routes. Processed through the Oxcart Permits Systems platform.
• WCRC Fix It Mobile Application Mobile application (powered by SeeClickFix) available for iPhone and Android that enables county residents to report non-emergency road issues such as potholes, signal problems, and other concerns directly to the Commission, track service requests, and receive notifications when issues are resolved.
• Roadside Vegetation Control Roadside mowing, mechanical brush mowing (boom mowing), vegetation management, and tree removal services within road right-of-way across the county road network. Includes twice-yearly mowing along paved county roads and once-yearly mowing along unpaved county roads during the May-October season.
• MDOT Contracted State Highway Maintenance Contracted routine maintenance services performed by WCRC on behalf of the Michigan Department of Transportation, including snow plowing and pothole patching across 598 lane-miles of state highways located within Washtenaw County.

Quantifiable outcome

• Maintains 1,650 miles of certified public roads including 743 miles of unpaved roads
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWCRC is contracted by MDOT to provide routine maintenance services including snow plowing and pothole patching on 598 lane-miles of state highways located within Washtenaw County. This is a primary revenue-generating partnership.
• Washtenaw County TownshipscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWCRC partners with 20 townships to provide local road improvements. The WCRC Board provides a Local Road Matching Program and Local Road Culverts and Bridge Matching Program allocated based on MDOT's distribution formula.
• Huron Waterloo Pathway InitiativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for non-motorized pathway construction, contributing matching funds for Border-to-Border Trail segments.
• Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation CommissionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for non-motorized pathway construction projects including the Border-to-Border Trail.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Jackson County Department of Transportation: Transportation department serving Jackson County, Michigan. Comparable county-level road authority with parallel service offerings (snow, signs, signals, permitting, bridge maintenance).
• Lenawee County Road Commission: County road commission for Lenawee County, Michigan. Peer in scale, statutory mandate, and rural road mix; uses similar MTF and millage funding architecture to WCRC.
• Wayne County Department of Public Services: County-level road and infrastructure agency in metropolitan Detroit, Michigan. Directly comparable in mission—maintaining county roads, bridges, and drainage—and in funding model (MTF, millages, MDOT contracts).
• Genesee County Road Commission: Genesee County (Flint area), Michigan road commission. Direct peer in organizational structure, funding mix, and service scope (snow removal, road construction, permits, signals, signs).
• Monroe County Road Commission: County road commission serving Monroe County in southeast Michigan. Peer in mandate, millage funding model, and township coordination; comparable in scale and rural-urban road mix.
• Oakland County Roads Division: Road maintenance division of Oakland County, Michigan government. Operates with similar statutory mandate, MTF-based funding, and township coordination as WCRC, though serving a larger and more urbanized county.
• Livingston County Road Commission: Neighboring Michigan county road commission serving a rural/suburban county with high commuter volumes. Comparable in scale and in the mix of paved and unpaved road inventory that WCRC manages.
• Kent County Road Commission: County road commission serving Kent County (Grand Rapids area), Michigan. Comparable institutional form (appointed board, MTF/millage funding, township matching programs) with a larger urban footprint than WCRC.
• Macomb County Department of Roads: Macomb County, Michigan's statutory road agency. Functionally parallel to WCRC: maintains county primary and local roads, manages winter operations, and processes permits under Michigan road commission law.

Broad incumbents

• Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT): State-level transportation authority that owns the trunkline system, distributes MTF and grant funding, and contracts WCRC for maintenance of 598 lane-miles of state highways within Washtenaw County.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/washtenawroads
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/WashtenawCountyRoads
• Facebookfacebook.com/washtenawroads

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Washtenaw County Road Commission