South Carolina’s Crumbling Transportation Infrastructure Finally Gets Some Attention

The second regular session of the 121^st South Carolina General Assembly kicked off on January 12 and will run through June 2 of 2016. While this news is largely ignored by most people, this session could be critical; the General Assembly has agreed that transportation and infrastructure are the most important legislative focuses.

We’ve written about some of the issues in the state before, but they bear repeating. South Carolina’s economic boom has resulted in an increase in commercial trucks on the road. The added traffic is increasing the wear on an aging infrastructure; almost half of the major roads and highways are in poor condition.

Additionally, the dam safety program is woefully underfunded. The small size of the program resulted in failures during the October 2015 floods that killed 19 people and closed more than 540 roads and bridges. The longer these issues go unaddressed, the worse the problem gets.

Everyone agrees a solution is needed

According to GSA Business:

“The challenge is not what the top priority should be during the session, but rather how to fund it. A recent study found that drivers spend nearly $3 billion annually on higher vehicle operating costs, traffic crashes and congestion-oriented delays because of the state’s deteriorating road system. In the Upstate, the report estimated each driver pays approximately $1,353 per year per driver, the most of any region in the state.”

The Department of Transportation’s 2040 Multimodal Transportation Plan estimates a total cost of $70.45 billion to repair and maintain transportation infrastructure through the year 2040. The money would maintain highways, bridges, pedestrian and bicycle lanes, and mass and premium transit.

The problem, as usual, is money

Unfortunately, the projected revenue leaves the budget short by almost $1.5 billion per year. One suggestion was increasing the gas tax over a three-year period. While increasing the gas tax is never a popular option, South Carolina has the third lowest gas tax in the nation. Spreading a tax increase over time is just one of many options on the table.

We hope that this session acts quickly and decisively to reverse the state’s past negligence in transportation infrastructure maintenance. In the meantime, the very roads are a threat to you and your loved ones. If you have been injured on the road, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact the experienced South Carolina car accident attorneys at McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips, LLC today for a free consultation.