No question, it's not an easy time to consider a gas tax increase. Gasoline prices have risen to their highest level in years. In addition, this is an election year, and the Legislature, ever sensitive to the timing of tax hikes, will be reluctant to order an increase.

But the deteriorating condition of South Carolina's secondary roads demands legislative attention. The lack of maintenance and upgrades on those roads is surely linked to higher expenses for motorists, perhaps approaching what a nominal increase in gas taxes would cost. This week's report from The Road Information Program estimates that the wretched condition of state roads causes motorists to pay an extra $227 a year in auto expenses.

Some of those expenses were detailed in our report, which cited suspension repairs and blown tires caused by crumbling road conditions. Very likely, the relatively high rate of highway mortality can be linked to the lack of available resources for road improvements. South Carolina has 2.23 fatalities per 100 million miles traveled, substantially greater than the national average.

The state gas tax is 16 cents per gallon, the fifth-lowest rate in the nation. There was a time when an increase of a few pennies would have taken care of the most pressing needs. But legislators' continued unwillingness to even consider a gas tax hike has kept the Department of Transportation in comparative penury while road conditions continue to decline. The gas tax was last increased in 1986.

As our report pointed out, the DOT uses a disproportionate share of its resources where it can leverage federal funds. That allows the state to capture more funding but, unfortunately, starves improvements for the state's secondary road system, which isn't eligible for federal aid.

Meanwhile, the state's support for public transportation is virtually nonexistent. Improved public transportation systems, including bus and light rail, could effectively reduce the number of cars on the road by attracting new riders. That would diminish the rising level of commuting times related to suburban traffic congestion cited in a Monday report.

Each penny of gas tax raises about $25 million. A DOT official reports that the state has an annual deficit of $2 billion in unmet highway needs. Clearly the state can't sustain a gas tax increase to meet every need. But it should be able to make a beginning.

The Legislature should be willing to support an increase in DOT funding this year. The department can make its best case with the public and the Legislature by dedicating existing resources strictly for priority work, and excluding the pet projects of highway commissioners.

The lack of sufficient road funding is getting to be an old story in South Carolina. The Legislature has been penny-wise and pound-foolish in keeping gas taxes among the lowest in the nation, while letting the state's road system deteriorate to a point where repairs become more costly and safety is jeopardized.

DOT reportedly is eyeing new sources of revenue, including car taxes, income taxes and license registration fees. The gas tax, which is a true user fee, is the more appropriate source.

The Legislature can make the case for an increase in the gas tax, and state residents will acknowledge the need to do so. Many, if not most, residents also are motorists, and each almost certainly has some experience riding on our crumbling roadways.

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