Jennifer Patterson, Author at scfor.org

Connecting the Dots: 2023 SCFOR Annual Meeting

The SCFOR Annual Meeting was held on Thursday, November 2. SCFOR Chairman Jim Thompson (Martin Marietta) kicked off the event by welcoming a sold-out crowd to the Hall at Senate’s End. Thompson reiterated the importance of transportation infrastructure to the state’s overall economic competitiveness and SCFOR’s ongoing efforts to educate the public and policymakers on the need for safe and efficient infrastructure.

South Carolina continues to attract people and new businesses. We have seen record economic development announcements over the past year, and it’s true – the state’s economy is booming.

It is an exciting time here in South Carolina, and as everyone knows, significant progress has been made since 2017, and there is much work to be done. Ongoing population and economic growth will continue to impact our infrastructure at the state and local levels. Our annual meeting served as an opportunity to bring together state and local leaders to connect the dots on all things infrastructure.

SCDOT Progress Report

SCDOT Commission Chairman Tony Cox provided us with a Commissioner’s perspective of the SCDOT before introducing Secretary of Transportation Christy Hall. Secretary Hall provided a thorough update on how the agency is working to meet the needs of our growing state, progress to date on the 10-year plan, and emphasized the need for additional resources to address a “looming bridge crisis.”

A growing number of bridges in the state’s network are reaching an age where repairs or replacements are necessary. Secretary Hall renewed her request for the legislature to allocate general funds to the SCDOT’s bridge program, specifically $200 million to address bridges on interstates, primary, and secondary routes.

SCFOR appreciates all of the SCDOT leadership and SCDOT Commissioners who took the time to join us!

Legislative Panels

Representatives Gary Brewer (R-Charleston), Cody Mitchell (R-Darlington), Russell Ott (D-Calhoun), and Jay West (R-Anderson) offered insights on navigating the legislative process in the House, issues they are working on, and what they expect in the upcoming 2024 session.

Senators Thomas McElveen (D-Sumter), Ross Turner (R-Greenville), and Tom Young (R-Aiken) gave perspectives on the budget process and touted the importance of continuing to assess issues related to infrastructure needs, workforce development, and safety.

The legislature has done a great job of making additional investments, most recently in 2022, with a significant allocation of one-time dollars to accelerate interstate expansion and a general fund allocation to help match new federal dollars.

Our mission is to ensure they remain proactive about addressing infrastructure needs, continue to assess the buying power of dedicated funding mechanisms, address electric vehicles, and allocate general fund dollars when available.

Local Government Funding: Progress with Pennies

Local governments are responsible for essential services affecting citizens’ day-to-day lives, from public safety and education to water and sewer. They also play a critical role in tackling transportation infrastructure issues, and one of the ways they can do this is through local option sales taxes at the county level.

We were fortunate to learn from Horry and Dorchester Counties about their respective taxes and how they have successfully implemented these programs more than once.

Horry County Administrator Steve Gosnell, PE, and RIDE Program Manager Jason Thompson, PE, shared some great information on how Horry County has been able to put their capital project sales tax to good use over the years and their plans for the future to renew their penny to address new projects.

Jason Carraher, PE, Dorchester County Public Works Director, and Todd Friddle, Dorchester County Council Chairman, discussed how their rapidly growing county put the first transportation sales tax to work and shared plans for the future under the recently renewed (2022) transportation tax.

Both counties agreed that public education is critical, not just to get programs approved at the ballot box but ongoing education and reminders about the progress and projects underway.

SCDOT Bridge Program

Bridges usually don’t get the attention they deserve from the general public because it isn’t until a bridge is closed for repairs that people realize a bridge is more than just pavement. These structures are key connectors for communities and commerce.

We closed the day with a timely presentation by Rob Perry, PE, SCDOT’s Chief Engineer for Bridges, who provided a thorough overview of how the bridge office is working to tackle maintenance and replacements to an aging bridge network.

There are 8,442 bridges in the state system. Approximately 32% (2,751) of these bridges are 60 years old, and 1,145 bridges are over 75 years old.

To tackle these structures, the Bridge office is looking at low-volume bridge design criteria, pursuing federal grants, and a general fund allocation.

We appreciate the support of all of our sponsors! This event would not have been possible without your generous support, so THANK YOU!

New Report Highlights Causes, Broader Impacts of Traffic Crashes

A new TRIP report looks at the causes and broader impacts of traffic crashes at the national and state levels. Despite reductions in vehicle travel, fatalities increased. A key contributor to these traffic fatalities is an increase in drivers engaging in risky behaviors.

South Carolina’s rates follow similar trends. The state’s fatalities spiked in 2020 and 2021 despite decreased miles traveled. However, we did see a decline in deaths last year.

It is important to note that South Carolina has seen traffic rebound and ultimately exceed 2019 figures. Vehicle travel has increased by 2.3 billion miles over the last three years to 60.2 billion miles annually.

TRIP estimates that severe and fatal traffic crashes in South Carolina in 2022 caused a total of $32 billion in value of societal harm, which includes $8 billion in economic costs and $24 billion in quality-of-life costs.

Improving safety and reducing fatalities is a team effort between all road users, law enforcement, traffic engineering/design, vehicle manufacturers, and first responders.

With vehicle travel only expected to increase in SC in the coming years, this report is a timely reminder that even with roadway design improvements and advancements in vehicle technologies, there is no replacement for safe driving habits. Safe roads begin with safe drivers.

Click here to view the SC news release, which includes links to the full report.

Legislature Approves FY23-24 Budget

The SC House and Senate have approved the conference committee report on the FY23-24 budget (H.4300). The spending plan passed both chambers on June 14 and was sent to the Governor for approval.

A few key highlights from the FY23-24 budget include income tax cuts, increases in reserves, raises for state employees and teachers, investments in economic development, workforce, and resiliency efforts.

When it comes to roads and bridges, the spending plan includes new allocations to address litter and a boost for county road programs.

SCDOT will receive an $8 million allocation for litter pickup.

County road programs will also benefit, with a $20 million allocation to boost County Transportation Committees (CTCs).

In addition, one-time funding has been provided for various local projects listed below:

Chester County – Lighting Safety Upgrades: $450,000
City of Columbia – Assembly St. Railroad Grade Separation Project: $10 Million
City of Columbia – Beltline Blvd Redevelopment Projects: $2 Million
City of Columbia – Williams Street Gateway: $7 Million
City of Conway – Carolina Bay Construction: $677,000
City of Easley Traffic Congestion Mitigation: $2 Million
City of Sumter North Mainstreet Corridor Improvements: $1 Million
Devine Street Corridor and Accessibility: $1.5 Million
Dorchester County – Pedestrian Crossing for Bacons Bridge Road: $2.2 Million
Elevate SC-22 Over Waccamaw River: $30 Million
Highway 90 Improvements and Expansion: $5 Million
Lexington County – Local Stormwater Management: $200,000
Pickens County – Highway 183: $10 Million
Southern Evacuation Lifeline Permitting and Engineering: $5 Million
Town of Hilton Head Island Independent Bridge Replacement Study: $300,000
Town of Summerville – Central Ave. Pedestrian Safety Sidewalk: $400,000

The FY23-24 budget maintains the recurring $120 million allocation to SCDOT (established in 2022) to match new federal dollars coming to the state through the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (IIJA).

Governor McMaster issued 11 vetoes on June 20, none of which impacted these allocations to roads.

The FY23-24 budget goes into effect on July 1, 2023. It is important to remember that general funds (state budget dollars) are not the primary revenue source for transportation infrastructure in South Carolina. Instead, revenues from driver and vehicle-related fees are dedicated to roads and bridges.

The state’s predominant funding source is the 28.75 cents per gallon motor fuel user fee applied to all gasoline and diesel purchases made in South Carolina.

Other revenue streams include the former vehicle “sales tax” of 5% of the purchase price (capped at $500) of a new vehicle, biennial vehicle registration fees, various driver’s license fees/penalties, out-of-state vehicle transfer fees (new residents transferring their vehicle registration from another state pay a one-time $250 fee), and road use fees on commercial vehicles.

SCDOT Commission Approves FY23-24 Pavement Program

In the upcoming fiscal year, $775 million will be invested in the pavement program. A breakdown of funding by category is below:

Interstates: $213 million
Primary Roads: $327 million
Farm-to-Market Secondaries: $148 million
Neighborhood Streets: $87 million

Funding for primary roads, farm-to-market secondaries, and neighborhood streets is allocated at the county level. These allocations are based on the county’s relative share of lane miles in each system.

SCDOT Commissioners approved these funding levels and 367 miles of ranked project lists for reconstruction and rehabilitation of Farm to Market Secondaries and Neighborhood Streets for inclusion in the FY23-24 program. View the complete list here.

You will recall that the Primary/Major Road project list (510 miles) was approved last year because SCDOT ranks those on a two-year basis to provide visibility for contractors and local governments so they know what is in the pipeline for planning purposes. View the Primary/Major Roads approved in 2022 here.

View Interactive Map of the FY23-24 Pavement Program

These pavement projects will be added to over 8,000 miles of pavement improvements that have been initiated since 2017.

State revenues play a critical role in funding repairs and maintenance, especially to pavements. None of these projects would be possible without revenues generated from the state’s 28.75 cents per gallon fuel tax and other vehicle/driver related fees that are solely dedicated to infrastructure.

SCFOR applauds the SCDOT for their efforts to continue to put dollars to work for South Carolinians as they tackle improvements to one of the largest state-owned road networks in the nation.

Senate Passes Budget in Record Time

Senators surprised everyone last week with arguably one of the smoothest and shortest budget floor deliberations ever. By 3:00 p.m. Tuesday, the budget had received second reading and Senators fully passed the spending plan Wednesday afternoon by a vote of 43-0, which has to be a record for the deliberative body.

Finance Committee Chairman Harvey Peeler(R-Cherokee) touted the work of the staff and subcommittees and thanked his fellow Senators for their efforts in keeping the budget process smooth. “It took us two solid days to pass this budget. We’ve got to do better next year,” quipped Chairman Peeler.

The budget returns to the House, where they will review and make changes.

SCFOR fully supports the allocations to roads and bridges provided by the House in their version of the budget passed back in March. The House provided one-time allocations to the SCDOT for bridges and County Transportation Committees (CTCs).

The $200 million bridge allocation in the House budget would aid SCDOT in addressing a growing number of aging bridges across the state.

The $250 million allocation to the County Transportation Committees (CTCs) would benefit every county and boost local road programs.

Senators left these statewide programs as $1 line items in their budget, which leaves room for negotiation as the budget process continues.

The final days of session will be critical to the budget process, as the Board of Economic Advisors (BEA) is likely to increase revenue estimates on May 9. Any revenue increase would serve as another catalyst for compromise between the House and Senate versions of the budget.

As the budget process moves forward, we encourage the legislature to support investments in our #roads and #bridges to keep South Carolina’s people and economy moving forward.

FY23-24 Budget Deliberations

Infrastructure investments remain a priority among legislators, and we applaud the SC House for allocating budget dollars to address our bridge network and boosting funds for county road programs.

We encourage the Senate to support these allocations as budget negotiations move forward.

The FY23-24 budget still has a long way to go before it is finalized, and we appreciate the legislature’s ongoing commitment to improving the state’s extensive road and bridge network.

Thanks to the legislature’s investments in 2022, the state has been able to move projects in the pipeline forward (sooner than they would have otherwise) and is better positioned to take advantage of federal dollars.

This year, legislators can maintain momentum by investing in local programs and, most importantly, aiding in tackling repairs and replacements to our aging bridge infrastructure.

The Budget Process & Overview to Date

The House passed its version of the budget back in March. They allocated non-recurring dollars for bridges ($200 million) and a combination of recurring and non-recurring funds for litter ($8 million). The House budget also includes a non-recurring allocation ($250 million) to boost County Transportation Committee (CTC) programs.

The Senate is debating the budget the week of April 18, and their version leaves room for negotiation on the bridge program and CTCs. They also funded a few individual projects.

Once the Senate passes their version of the budget, it returns to the House, where they will have an opportunity to amend the budget further. Changes adopted by the House will be returned to the Senate where they can either agree with the changes or insist on negotiating the budget further. The budget would then go to a Conference Committee where members of the House and Senate will work to reach a compromise on the state’s FY23-24 spending plan.

Ongoing investments in infrastructure will keep South Carolina’s people and economy moving forward.

Senate Budget Debate Begins Next Week

The Senate Finance Committee completed its budget deliberations last week and have crafted a budget that will be up for debate on the floor next week.

Finance Committee Chairman, Senator Harvey Peeler (R-Cherokee), said during his opening remarks to the committee that he once heard, “If you want to know what’s important to someone, look at their checkbook.” He went on to tout the importance of the state budget Senators are beginning to take up.

When it comes to roads and bridges, there was very little the Finance Committee agreed with when it came to allocations included in the House-passed version of the budget.

The committee maintained the $8 million ($6 non-recurring/$2 million recurring) allocation to SCDOT for non-interstate litter pickup efforts, but that’s all. Senators allocated $1 to the SCDOT for the bridge program, $1 to the County Transportation Committees (CTCs), and earmarked approximately $43 million for individual projects.

While these $1 allocations signal Senators are not on board with funding statewide bridge repairs or county programs at the moment, the good news is that these items are not entirely off the table for consideration. One dollar keeps these programs as line items for ongoing budget negotiations – whether on the Senate floor or in a conference committee with House members at a later date.

We wholeheartedly agree with Chairman Peeler’s statement that what you spend money on shows what is important. Because of this, we encourage Senators to support investments to help tackle aging bridges and boost funds for local projects in all 46 counties through CTC programs.

Thanks to the legislature’s investments in 2022, the state has been able to move projects in the pipeline forward (sooner than they would have otherwise) and is well-positioned to take advantage of federal dollars. This year, legislators can maintain momentum by investing in local programs and, most importantly, aiding in tackling repairs and replacements to our aging bridge infrastructure.

The Senate will begin budget deliberations on the floor next week. SCFOR will continue to track, so stay tuned!

House Budget Includes Money for Roads & Bridges

The FY23-24 budget, as passed by the SC House, includes one-time and recurring allocations to bolster road and bridge improvements.

Infrastructure investments remain a priority among legislators. The SCDOT has been allocated non-recurring dollars for bridges ($200 million) and a combination of recurring and non-recurring funds for litter ($8 million). The budget also includes a non-recurring allocation ($250 million) to accelerate County Transportation Committee (CTC) projects.

SCFOR applauds the House for allocating dollars to address our bridge network and boosting funds for county road programs. As Senators begin their work on the FY23-24 budget, we encourage them to support these allocations.

Bridges are key connectors for communities and commerce. The $200 million allocation for bridges will help address repairs and replacements of aging structures across the state.

State of SCDOT Focuses on Progress, Filling Gaps in Programs

Secretary of Transportation Christy Hall presented the 2023 State of SCDOT to the Senate Transportation Committee this week. She emphasized the state’s continued growth, infrastructure investments to date, and the need to continue working to close remaining program gaps.

Secretary Hall touted the ongoing progress from the state’s infrastructure investment in 2017 and more recent investments at the federal and state levels.

When it comes to economic and inflationary impacts on projects, she noted the powdered cement shortage and supply issues with specialty items (i.e., guardrails, specialty steel) are impacting projects the most. However, they have made adjustments on specialty items to keep projects moving forward and continue to monitor the cost of paving projects.

The state continues an aggressive interstate program, and Hall noted that 46 miles had been completed, 50 miles are under construction, and over 250 miles are currently in planning and design.

Secretary Hall emphasized the importance of starting early with the planning process because waiting until money becomes available to begin a project is usually too late. SCDOT continues to work to get projects teed up (across all programs) so they are ready to advance when dollars become available.

Senator Chip Campsen (R-Charleston) inquired about the status of I-95 and asserted that portions of I-95 had to be “the worst roadbed in the entire state.” He added that I-95 was not the best welcome mat for drivers entering South Carolina from Georgia.

Secretary Hall did not disagree. She noted that portions of I-95 had significant issues, especially with shoulder deterioration. She added that the interstate program is being implemented based on resources and reminded the committee that Georgia had twice the budget and half the responsibility.

As we have previously reported, a key request of SCDOT for the FY23-24 budget is for bridges. Secretary Hall discussed the need for a $1 billion investment over five years for the state’s bridge program. She suggested that these funds be phased in ($200 million/year) to allow the agency and industry to plan and deliver properly.

Because many of the state’s bridges that carry the majority of traffic are aging and reaching time for repair or replacement, Hall said this investment would allow the state to “get ahead of a major problem.”

Senate Transportation Committee Chairman Larry Grooms (R-Berkeley) said that the state had come a long way in recent years regarding improvements, praising the work of SCDOT and industry to advance projects and plans. However, he said there is still much work to be done to get the transportation network where it needs to be.

Chairman Grooms touted the state’s investments in infrastructure and said, based on the progress to date, the same rule still applies today, “you get more with more.”

We couldn’t agree more with Chairman Grooms because transportation infrastructure plays a critical role in serving the people and businesses who already call South Carolina home, as well as those we seek to attract in the future.

If we learned anything from 2017, it’s that we can’t afford to wait. South Carolina is doing a great job of putting dollars to work. Still, we must continue to assess the buying power of dedicated funding mechanisms and allocate general fund dollars when available. The legislature has done a tremendous job of making infrastructure investments an ongoing priority. Our mission is to ensure they remain proactive about addressing infrastructure needs to keep South Carolina moving forward.

Commission Elects New Chairman and Vice-Chair

Commissioner Gene Branham (Dist. 5) passed the Chairman’s gavel to Commissioner Tony Cox (Dist. 7) at the conclusion of the January meeting.

“I’m honored to serve again as the Chairman of the Commission,” said Cox in a press release. “We’re making tremendous progress on our Strategic 10-Year Plan, and we will continue working hard on behalf of the people of South Carolina.”

Commissioner Cox joined the Commission in 2017. He has previously served as Chairman and Vice Chairman. He is a real estate professional with 40 years of experience. He recently retired as the executive vice president at Burroughs and Chapin Co., Inc. in Myrtle Beach.

Commissioner Pam Christopher (Dist. 3) was elected to serve as Vice-Chairman. Commissioner Christopher joined the SCDOT Commission in 2020. She is the President and CEO of the Anderson Area Chamber of Commerce.

SCFOR thanks Commissioner Branham for his leadership as Chairman over the past year, and we look forward to continuing to work with him. Congratulations to Chairman Cox and Vice-Chairman Christopher! We look forward to working with them in their new roles.