In November 2012, Richland County residents voted to approve the referendum for the Transportation Penny Tax program, which imposed a 1 percent sales tax. The tax went into effect May 1, 2013. More historical information regarding the tax can be found here.

The department releases a monthly report detailing projects and expenditures; those can be viewed here. Also, a monthly Transportation Penny Advisory Committee (TPAC) meeting makes discussion on these details available to the public. Information on those meetings can be found here. The Ombudsman’s Office can release more detailed information via a FOIA request, if necessary.

All initial inquiries should be routed through the Ombudsman’s Office so they can be routed to the appropriate department and answered appropriately. Contact the Ombudsman via email at ombudsman@richlandcountysc.gov or call 803-929-6000.

Have a question or comment to be addressed during a TPAC meeting? Email them to TPAC@richlandcountysc.gov. They should be received no later than noon the day of the appropriate meeting.

Please email these requests to transportationpenny@richlandcountysc.gov. Our department will reach out to you to schedule a meeting.

The Penny focuses on three main categories under the specific umbrella of county roads and transportation systems. Those three categories are 1) Roadways, 2) The COMET, and 3) Bikeways, pedestrian improvements, and greenways.

The total accumulation of $1.07 billion from the penny has been allocated over half of the funds, $656 million, to be used for the improvement of roadways in Richland County, including widening of highly trafficked areas, intersection improvement, dirt road paving, resurfacing, and special projects such as improving the interchange of Broad River Road and I-20.

An integral part of the transportation system in Columbia, the COMET has also been a beneficiary of the Penny, which has helped to fund the overall improvement of the system from the creation of new routes and enhancements to bus stops and the expansion of its fleet.

The money allocated toward improving pedestrian and bicyclist's experience has allowed for the addition of bike paths, sidewalks, and greenways throughout the county.

Through funds generated by the Penny, 120 miles of roads have been resurfaced, 85 dirt roads have been paved, 11 intersections have been constructed, and more than 500 roadways, bikeways, and greenways have been completed. You can find a full list of active projects by visiting the Richland Penny website at https://richlandpenny.com/active-projects/

Richland County faces more needs than current resources allow. The 2012 Penny ballot included projects ranging from roads to bikeways, accessible at https://richlandpenny.com/active-projects/. This list resulted from a comprehensive study and extensive resident input. Priorities were set based on transportation needs, population density, and environmental impact. Funds are carefully allocated to ensure efficient use, with fairness and equity in distribution, to enhance the quality of life for all residents.

Our public education initiative has nothing to do with extending or renewing a Penny Tax. The purpose of our Transportation Penny community presentations is to highlight the positive impacts the program has made across the County. They are one aspect of our public education efforts which also utilize printed materials, videos and links to other informative resources, all available online at RichlandPenny.com.

These presentations are scheduled when requested is through the website. Our public education initiative is part of fulfilling our commitment to transparency and accountability to the citizens of Richland County, a commitment made in 2012 when the penny program began.

The information that is shared about the Penny and used throughout out Public Education Initiative has been carefully gathered from various studies and resources by a team of experts and professionals. They have conducted thorough research, analyzed the data, and synthesized their findings to produce comprehensive reporting. This rigorous and detailed process is aims to provide accurate and reliable information on the current status of Penny, which can all be found at RichlandPenny.com.

Due to the specific timeline of the data collection process, the information currently accessible for the COMET only covers a period up to the year 2021. This means that any data that was collected after this time frame is not yet available for analysis.

The research team conducted a comprehensive 10-year study to gather the data, which has been used to generate insights and inform decision-making. Unfortunately, there is no more recent data available beyond this timeframe, and researchers are currently unable to access any new data beyond the original study.

We take full responsibility for the implementation challenges and our uneven start. Due to the nature of this unprecedented project, regulatory questions arose regarding Penny Tax expenses versus General Fund obligations and forming an effective management team. However, after an agreement with the South Carolina Department of Revenue, there was no evidence of fraud or impropriety on our part.

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We cannot say that all successful County transportation projects came about solely by virtue of the penny. However, we have numerous examples that show the direct relationship between the public investment of the Penny and the outcomes that have been achieved. Examples include increased economic development by way of the Shop Road Extension project and improvement in traffic and safety statistics with the that we are presenting to you today. The traffic and safety measures, as well as the direct examples of economic development by way of the Shop Road Extension and the Intersection Improvement at Clemson and Sparkleberry Roads were made possible by the Penny.

Since the inception of the Penny, Richland County has seen notable economic development growth. With nearly 20,000 new jobs, 4,000 new businesses, and over $4.7 billion in investments, Richland County has seen a 60% decrease in unemployment and 2.5 million new annual visitors.

Hardscrabble Road is a state road, meaning that it is the responsibility of the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) to manage and oversee the project. Although the project is partially funded by the Richland County Penny Sales Tax and federal dollars, SCDOT is responsible for ensuring that the project is completed according to the necessary standards.

According to SCDOT, if there are no further delays, the project's completion is expected in late spring or early summer 2024 for the southern section, late summer or early fall 2024 for the northern section, and spring 2025 for the remaining area.

Richland County will continue to advocate for timely completion to SCDOT on behalf of county residents and ask that they provide timely updates which we can report to the public.