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SCDOT Commission Elects 2020 Officers

The SCDOT Commission held its first meeting of the new year on January 16, and one of the most important items on the agenda was the election of officers for 2020.

Commissioners elected Vice-Chairman Tony Cox (Dist. 7) to serve as Chairman and Commissioner Barnwell Fishburne (Dist. 6) as Vice-Chairman of the SCDOT Commission.

Cox has been serving on the Commission since the summer of 2017 and has been Vice-Chairman since January 2019. He has been in the real estate business for more than 36 years and serves as executive vice president for the real estate division of Burroughs and Chapin Company, Inc. in Myrtle Beach.

Fishburne has represented the 6th Congressional District since 2018. He is the owner of Fishburne and Company Development Corporation in Walterboro, SC.

Both Cox and Fishburne were elected by acclamation. The gavel will be formally passed to Commissioner Cox by outgoing Chairman Robby Robbins at the February meeting.

“Mr. Cox and Mr. Fishburne have each contributed greatly to the success of the Commission and I am confident they will continue to lead this Commission forward in their new roles as Chairman and Vice Chairman,” said outgoing Chairman Robby Robbins (Dist. 1) in a press release.

SC Public Radio Talks Interstates

Historic Amount of Improvement to Interstates Over the Past 10 Years, But Much More is Needed

South Carolina’s Interstate Highway system is its’ economic lifeblood. But the state’s dramatic growth, and too many years of too little state funding find the system clogged with congestion in urban areas, and in desperate need of repairs in many rural areas.

Over the past ten years, more than $3.5 Billion in road and bridge work has been underway, an historic amount for the state. But as car and truck traffic volumes grow so do the needs. The S. C. Department of Transportation estimates $20 Billion worth of road work is needed for the entire Interstate system.

$14 Billion needed to widen all rural four lane interstates to six lanes. This would include widening Interstates 85 and 95 entering the state from Georgia and another section of I-26 between Charleston and Columbia.
$5 Billion dollars for urban interstate interchanges in Greenville, Columbia and North Charleston.
$1Billion dollars to reduce congestion in urban areas around interchanges where adding additional lanes aren’t practical such as I-77 going into Charlotte which is already at eight lanes.

The state is currently in the third year of a phased-in 12 cents a gallon gas tax increase. In three more years the higher tax is expected to pump almost $800 Million a year into a trust fund account which is DOT’s primary road improvement fund.

DOT Secretary Christy Hall recently told a State Senate Sub-Committee that the $450 Million dollars currently in the trust fund along with federal funding is allowing DOT to conduct about $1 Billion in road and bridge improvements.

Listen to the full story by Russ McKinney here.

Source: SC Public Radio, December 13, 2019

Follow the Money

Thanks to the 2017 road funding law, SC is seeing new revenues to help bring our roads back to a state of good repair. All of the new revenues are deposited into the Infrastructure Maintenance Trust Fund where they are used to address pavements, bridges, and safety improvements in all 46 counties.

We encourage you to follow the money with us and check out the latest figures from the Trust Fund.

All of the statements, project lists, and vendor payments are available online through the SC Department of Transportation’s website.

2020 Pavement Program Aims to Address Major Repairs, Fully Rebuild Roads

Thanks to adjustments in funding methodology, beginning with the 2020 Pavement Program counties will have more flexibility when it comes to addressing roads in need of MORE than just preservation.

Over 600 miles of REHABILITATION AND RECONSTRUCTION PROJECTS have been approved for inclusion in the 2020 Pavement program.

Phase 1 rehab/reconstruction projects were approved in June and were open for an extended public comment period through July. Phase 2 was approved last week at the September Commission meeting and is currently out for public comment.

Public Comments on Phase 2 will be accepted until October 21, 2019. Details on submitting public comments can be found here.

View the interactive map of PHASE 2 Projects here.

Pavements are a key component of South Carolina’s 10-year plan. To date, SCDOT has already doubled the paving program’s investment levels and is on track to nearly quadruple the entire program by 2023. None of which would be possible without the road funding bill of 2017.

Follow the Money

State law requires that the new revenues generated from the 2017 road funding law be deposited into the Infrastructure Maintenance Trust Fund (IMTF). The most recent statement can be viewed here.

The latest data shows that since the passage of road funding legislation in 2017, over $828 million has been deposited into the IMTF. Of that, $240 million comes from the fuel tax increase. Currently, the most significant source of revenue in the IMTF comes from the infrastructure maintenance fee (formerly the vehicle sales tax); however, that is likely to shift as the extra pennies are phased in on fuel.

Since 2017, over $376 million has been paid out for completed work, allocations to County Transportation Committees (CTCs), and to cover the preventative maintenance tax credit for South Carolinians.

There is a lot of misinformation out there that implies that the money is being diverted elsewhere. The truth is, the only “diversion” is one that goes back into the pockets of SC taxpayers. Moreover, if money remains in the tax credit account after tax credits are claimed, it must go back to SCDOT to be used to fix roads and bridges.

Thanks to the 2017 road funding law, additional revenues will continue to be phased in the coming years. It is because of these revenues that South Carolina has been able to adequately plan and ensure that EVERY county in South Carolina sees benefits.

Over $1 billion in project commitments have been made to improve over 3,000 miles of pavements, bridges, and safety improvements in ALL 46 counties. View the list here.

Our roads and bridges didn’t get in this condition overnight, and there’s no quick fix. The good news is, there is a plan in place to address long overdue improvements to pavements, bridges, and safety. We plan to continue to follow the progress and look forward to seeing more work hit the streets. We encourage you to follow it with us!

Common Cents: SC Fuel Tax is Funding Improvements

South Carolina’s fuel tax increased by two cents on July 1, bringing the statewide total to 22.75 cents per gallon. The increase marks year three of the six-year phase-in period established by the 2017 road funding law.

Why is the Fuel Tax Increasing?

The primary source of state funding for roads and bridges comes from the state fuel tax. Prior to 2017, South Carolina had not adjusted the fuel tax since 1987. South Carolina’s fuel tax was among the lowest in the nation and had lost a significant amount of buying power.

The SC Legislature made transportation infrastructure a priority in 2017, choosing to increase vehicle-related fees to make additional investments to fund improvements to South Carolina’s extensive state-owned road system.

All of the new user-fee based revenues, including the fuel tax, are being used to make repairs and improvements to existing roads and bridges in all 46 counties in South Carolina.

The 2017 investment was long overdue, and right now, South Carolina is working to make up for years of neglect due to underfunding.

All of the new revenues go directly to the Infrastructure Maintenance Trust Fund to be used on repairs to existing roads and bridges across the state. A full accounting of this fund, including project lists, and vendor payments are available online and updated monthly.

To date, over $1 billion has been committed to fund improvements to over 3,000 miles in ALL 46 counties in South Carolina.

NONE of these improvements would be possible without the revenues from the 2017 road funding law.

Despite the increase, our gas receipts will still be among the cheapest in the nation. For example, here’s how much you would be paying in state taxes/fees to fill up in our sister states:

Also, just for comparison on July 1, 2019, the average price of regular unleaded gasoline in SC was $2.37 per gallon – which is lower than it was the year before. (On July 1, 2018, the average price was $2.52 per gallon.) View more details about South Carolina’s gas tax prices here.

South Carolina is not alone when it comes to increasing fuel taxes to fund road improvements. Since 2013, 31 states have adjusted their fuel taxes to fund transportation infrastructure improvements.

SCDOT Commission Approves 2020 Paving Program

The June meeting of the SCDOT Commission focused on the FY2019-2020 Pavement Improvement Program. The pavement program is approved annually and sets funding levels for preservation and rehab/reconstruction to interstates, primary roads, and secondary roads.

Pavements are a key component of the SCDOT’s 10-year plan and the agency has already doubled the paving program’s investment levels and is on track to nearly quadruple the entire program by 2023. The increased investment in pavements can be directly attributed to the road funding bill of 2017.

The SCDOT Commission approved the investment of $473 million in FY19-20 for pavement improvements. They also approved the first phase of recommended ranked project lists for the reconstruction and rehabilitation projects for inclusion in the program.

Phase 1 Rehabilitation and Reconstruction projects consist of $254 Million, which will improve 561 miles of roads in all 46 counties. Detailed project lists are linked below.

Interstates: $100 Million
Primary: $230 Million
- Preservation: $19 Million
- Phase 1 Rehab/Reconstruction: $138 Million – View Projects by County Here
- Phase 2 Rehab/Reconstruction: $33 Million
- Rural Road Safety: $40 Million
Federal Aid Secondary: $75 Million
- Preservation: $7.5 Million
- Phase 1 Rehab/Reconstruction: $59.8 Million – View Projects by County Here
- Phase 2 Rehab/Reconstruction: $7.7 Million
Non-Federal Aid Secondary: $68 million
- Preservation: $6.8 Million
- Phase 1 Rehab/Reconstruction: $56.3. Million – View Projects by County Here
- Phase 2 Rehab/Reconstruction: $4.8 Million

Phase 2 of the ranked Rehabilitation and Reconstruction projects will be provided at a future meeting for Commission approval. Those projects are expected to total roughly $45.6 Million.

While the Commission has approved the projects, they still must go out for public comment. The proposed 2019-2020 Phase 1 Projects will be open soon for comments (over 21 days). Any substantive comments must be provided to the Commission for its consideration. Barring any substantive comments, the projects are to be incorporated in the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP).

Construction Program Continues Upward Trend

Thanks to the passage of road funding legislation in recent years, South Carolina has seen a significant boost in the amount of work that is out on the streets. The construction program continues to grow and has quadrupled over the past 10 years.

More than $797 million in contracts have been awarded in the current fiscal year.

Currently, there is $3.3 billion worth of work going on across the state. Of that work, $1.6 billion has been paid out for completed projects (up from $1.5B last month). This data is proof that contracts continue to roll out, industry partners are ramping up, and progress is being made. A breakdown of the construction program by category can be found here.

Source: SCDOT Commission Meeting June 20, 2019.

Common Cents

With road construction season in full swing and the gas tax increase July 1, we took the “common cents” approach to answering some of the most frequently asked questions about #fixingscroads with the new revenues.

What will the fuel tax be on July 1?

South Carolina’s gas tax increased two cents on July 1. This brings our state fuel tax rate to 22.75 cents which is far below our sister states’ rates and the national average of 34 cents.

Where’s the new money going?

Over $1 billion has been committed to fix over 3,000 miles of existing roads and bridges in ALL 46 counties. All of the new money is deposited into a trust fund account to fund these projects. All statements, project lists, and vendor payments are updated monthly and available online.

Can the new money be spent faster?

Sure, if you want to pay contractors ahead of time. Contractors are paid when work is complete. Currently, there is over $870 million worth of work under construction.

Why is it taking so long?

There are specific guidelines for road projects, including federal requirements and permitting – all of which have a significant impact on timelines. Not to mention, it is impossible to fix decades worth of work in two years. This will take time!

New Report Ranks SC #1 in Rural Road Fatalities

SOUTH CAROLINA’S RURAL ROADS HAVE HIGHEST TRAFFIC FATALITY RATE IN THE NATION; REPAIRS & MODERNIZATION NEEDED TO BOOST SAFETY, IMPROVE CONDITIONS & SUPPORT GROWTH & CONNECTIVITY

Washington, D.C. – America’s rural transportation system is in need of repairs and modernization to support economic growth in the nation’s Heartland, which is a critical source of energy, food and fiber. With increases in population and growing employment, rural America is heavily reliant on the quality of its transportation system to sustain further growth. This is according to a new report released today by TRIP, a national transportation research nonprofit. The report, Rural Connections: Challenges and Opportunities in America’s Heartland, evaluates the safety and condition of the nation’s rural roads and bridges and finds that the nation’s rural transportation system is in need of immediate improvements to address deficient roads and bridges, high crash rates, and inadequate connectivity and capacity. The chart below shows the states with the highest rate of rural pavements in poor condition, states with the highest share of rural bridges that are rated poor/structurally deficient, and states with the highest fatality rates on non-Interstate, rural roads.

The rate of traffic fatalities on South Carolina’s non-Interstate, rural roads is the highest in the nation and is nearly four times higher than the fatality rate on all other roads in the state – 3.6 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles of travel vs. 0.98. The report finds that 40 percent of South Carolina’s rural roads are rated in poor or mediocre condition. Nine percent of South Carolina’s rural bridges are rated as poor/structurally deficient. Bridges that are poor/structurally deficient have significant deterioration to the major components of the bridge and are often posted for lower weight or closed to traffic, restricting or redirecting large vehicles, including agricultural equipment, commercial trucks, school buses and emergency services vehicles.

“With passage of road funding legislation in 2017, we are pleased that South Carolina now has additional resources to make safety a priority, specifically on rural roads,” said Jennifer Patterson, executive director of South Carolina Alliance to Fix Our Roads (SCFOR). “Since 2017, over 900 miles of rural roads have been approved for safety-specific improvements. We recognize that safety is a balance between the condition of the roads and driver behavior; however, we hope that as these projects continue to be rolled out, they will aid in helping the state shed this disparaging ranking.”

“Damaged and deteriorating roadways too often result in deadly crashes, and it is time to act,” said Tiffany Wright, AAA Carolinas spokesperson. “AAA Carolinas advocates that making investments in critical safety improvements to rural roads will save thousands of lives each year and help move our economy forward.”

America’s rural transportation system provides the first and last link in the supply chain from farm to market, connects manufacturers to their customers, supports the tourism industry, and enables the production of energy, food and fiber. Rural Americans are more reliant on the quality of their transportation system than their urban counterparts.

“This report highlights again the critical need for federal action to modernize our nation’s infrastructure,” said Ed Mortimer, vice president of transportation infrastructure of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “We have a historic opportunity to address many rural infrastructure needs with President Trump and Congress discussing a major infrastructure bill. Let’s hope they act to address this critical issue!”

The TRIP report finds that the U.S. needs to implement transportation improvements that will improve rural transportation connectivity, safety and conditions to provide the nation’s small communities and rural areas with safe and efficient access to support quality of life and enhance economic productivity.

“Farmers and ranchers depend on rural roads, highways and bridges for daily life and to move their products to market,” said Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation. “Securing the appropriate resources at the local, state and federal levels will allow for the improvements needed to provide a rural transportation system that will keep goods moving, American agriculture competitive and rural Americans safe.”

“The health of the nation’s economy and the safety and quality of life in America’s small communities and rural areas ride on our rural transportation system. Our rural roads and bridges provide crucial links from farm to market, move manufactured and energy products, and provide access to countless tourism, social and recreational destinations,” said Will Wilkins, executive director of TRIP. “Fixing the federal Highway Trust Fund with a long-term, sustainable source of revenue that supports the transportation investment needed will be crucial to the modernization of our rural transportation system.”

Source: TRIP Press Release 05/22/19