An Overview for Decision Makers

South Carolina needs an effective transportation system to link people to the places they want and need to go; transportation this year is an issue in the spotlight!

• The South Carolina Silver Haired Legislature named funding for transportation their number one state legislative priority.

• Transportation ranked number two among the top ten issues for seniors — ahead of Social Security and other economic concerns at the December 2005, national White House Conference on Aging.

• President Bush issued an Executive Order dealing with the 62 different federal programs which contain a component for providing transportation instructing them to find a way to coordinate scarce resources. A national consortium of agency heads is working toward this goal under the "United We Ride" initiative.

• At the state level, Governor Sanford has given responsibility for leading this activity to the SC Department of Transportation, which has convened a similar group.

• The new transit bill, recently enacted by Congress, contains special emphasis on local planning, providing new options to help people access employment, and providing independence and community access for people who can't or don't choose to drive.

• Communities in South Carolina which offer public transportation have seen the number of passengers increasing as gasoline prices escalate.
   

Who Is Funding Transportation in South Carolina

Funding for transportation services is provided or impacted in South Carolina through the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), state and local government funds; individual health, human service and employment programs, tax credits for business and industry for employment transportation and payment from riders.

• FTA helps to fund public transportation in South Carolina with around $32.5 million.

• State fuel user fees add approximately $5.9 million.

• $100,000 in the state general fund.

• Maybank Funds contributed $ 1.2 million distributed quarterly from collected state revenue.

• State fuel user fees, State General Funds and the Maybank funds are used to match federal funds and for special purpose projects. Local governments contribute in varying degrees.

• Medicaid non-emergency transportation service represents a multi- million dollar source of support for the transportation providers who currently hold their contracts. Many of these agencies have made the best of these dollars and the infrastructure it provides them by sharing available seats and sharing the cost of trips among various programs-a win-win solution, holding down cost through coordination, for all parties involved. The state Medicaid agency has decided to pursue a different method of providing transportation, which if not coordinated with other local public and human service programs, could make the system more fragmented and result in consumers actually losing mobility options in some areas.

• Human Service Agencies have resources in their operating budgets ranging from vehicles and drivers to funds to purchase transportation services for their constituents. inability of clients to get to services which can help them retain or regain their health or independence is a major problem for large numbers of service programs.