By Andy Brack | Proponents of South Carolina spending more money to fix crumbling roads and bridges are pointing to a new report that shows the Palmetto State has the nation’s second-highest fatality rate on rural roads.
According the new study by the national transportation research group known as TRIP, South Carolina ranks behind only Connecticut in fatalities on rural roads with an average of 3.4 people killed per million vehicle miles.
The state Senate, which started debating road funding packages on the floor this week after being stalled on an anti-abortion bill, has six work days left in this year’s session. A “sine die” session often occurs after the main session to allow lawmakers to have time to consider gubernatorial vetoes. If senators don’t finish on road funding by the first week of June, they conceivably could consider the issue in the “sine die” session. That possibility generally is considered remote.
State Sen. Brad Hutto, D-Orangeburg, said lawmakers were working in a bipartisan manner to get additional road funding this year. The state Department of Transportation estimates there are more than $40 billion of needs over the next 25 years. Current funding proposals call for an extra $300 million to $800 million to be generated annually to spend on roads. Lawmakers also may have extra revenue from tax collections to spend. House Ways and Means Chair Brian White, R-Anderson, announced Thursday he will submit a supplemental appropriations bill next week to cover that possibility.
Hutto said the state can’t afford to not fund more money to deal with all roads, including rural roads.
“No matter where you live, you drive to other places,” he said. “The roads, in general, need to be fixed.”
The report on rural road fatalities found about 20 percent of Americans live in rural areas. They tend to be “more heavily reliant on their limited transportation network — primarily rural roads and highways — than their counterparts in more urban areas. Residents of rural areas often must travel longer distances to access education, employment, retail locations, social opportunities and health services.”
Other findings:
Connectivity. If rural areas don’t get better transportation, additional economic growth may be impeded, the report said, and thereby reduce rural residents’ quality of life.
Safety. Traffic deaths on rural roads are three times higher on rural roads than other roads. Reasons for higher rates include roads without enough safety features, longer response times for emergency vehicles and higher speeds that people often drive on narrower, rural two-lane roads.
Deficiencies. Rural roads and bridges have significant deficiencies, including poor pavement conditions and lots of bridges that need rehabilitation.
We Can Do Better, South Carolina!