WSGW OnLine Poll: Michigan’s Recreation Passport… Opt-In or Opt-Out (results)

(October 16 – 23)

The House Transportation Committee in Lansing is considering offering a bill to change the way residents obtain a Recreation Passport.

The passport is an optional fee you pay to receive a special designation on your license plate tab allowing free access to state parks, state recreation, areas and state boat launches. It does not include local, county, municipal, or metropolitan parks or recreation areas.

The annual fee is $11 for vehicles and $6 for motorcyles. Most people seem to agree it’s a great deal, even those that don’t choose to take advantage of the option.

Right now, to get the Recreation Passport, you have to “opt-in”, or request to pay the fee. In order to boost participation and increase funds, lawmakers want to change the Recreation Passport to “opt-out”, meaning you would have to request the fee to be removed from your vehicle license fee.

One estimation is the change could increase participation from the current 33% to as much as 50%, and revenue could increase from $29 million to $44 million.

POLL QUESTION: For the Recreation Passport, would you prefer the current “opt-in” method, or would you prefer it changed to “opt-out”?
Keep it Opt-In  –  85%
Change it to Opt-Out  –  13%
I’m Not Sure  –  2%