Does a higher gas tax add up to better roads?

A few miles over the state line, motorists in North Carolina were filling up for $3.39 a gallon on Tuesday.

“Right now, we got some high gas prices, but 39 cents isn't too much,” said driver Eugene Langford.

Travel south and you'll save about 39 cents.  Why?  North Carolina has a 38.9 cent gas tax, which costs the average consumer about $30 dollars extra a year.

The gas tax is re-calculated every six months based on wholesale gas prices.

“The reason we do that way is because the cost of building roads is directly linked to the cost of gasoline,” said NCDOT spokeswoman Greer Beaty.

The gas tax is a major source of funding for the DOT.

Similar to South Carolina’s gas tax, the money generated pays for road maintenance, such repaving and filling potholes.  But there is a big difference between the neighboring states.

South Carolina has one of the lowest gas taxes in the nation at 16 cents a gallon.  It has not been increased since 1987.

 “I just think politically, it’s not popular right now,” said SCDOT engineer Jason Allison.

Due to lack of finances, a project to resurface secondary roads in the Upstate was put on hold and $25 million in contracts for work were cut this year, according to Allison.

Allison feels that if the state had a higher gas tax there may not be as many problems with completing projects.

Allison gives this example to explain why – “If you don't plan to put a new roof on your house, eventually it’s going to leak and those leaks are going to cause more damage than just to the roof.  So a $4000 to $6000 roof now could save you $10,000 to $20,000 later."

While North Carolina drivers pay almost twice as what motorists in South Carolina do, the NCDOT believes the higher tax is worth it, because the state can afford all the necessary repairs.

“We have a massive transportation infrastructure and it really has been key to recruiting and maintaining some great businesses,” said Beaty.

A bill has been pre-filed by Rep. Bakari Sellers to reduce South Carolina’s gas tax to 14.4 cents a gallon.

He believes the tax would help the low-income people through the economic recovery, however, Allison says any reduction would further strain the DOT’s budget.