I have ready the study in its entirety. In my opinion, it's another example of how nearsighted and reactive MDOT is. The issue is that there are many ways to reduce congestion, but MDOT did not explore any other option than adding more lanes/roads. It's the Michigan Department of Transportation, not the Michigan Department of Highways.
Another way to reduce congestion in to explore public transit options like Ottawa county is (ahem, WAS) doing. I wish someone would explain to me why we should not simply throw out any transit study now that this is actually happening.
Since 10 years ago, we have had significant more proof that the public is desiring more transportation options, including public transit. Trends are also showing us that talent is attracted to vibrant, urban communities. Thus, it seems like as a region we should be focusing projects that will encourage building our cores and connecting them with public transit. This project does the exact opposite. It encourages sprawl and it reduces likelihood of getting proper infrastructure in place.
I strongly disagree with you about bypasses. They encourage sprawl, and building them is a REACTIVE way to address a transportation issue. Again, there are other options for reducing congestion, we just need to get MDOT to really do their job and look past the single driver automobile.