Last week we mentioned the Washington Post’s assertion that Marylanders will soon be paying some of the nation’s highest prices for gas. (Why are you always hating on us, WaPo!?) It’s true that this spring’s gas tax hike is causing drivers to pay more at the pump. But if that money is spent well — and, yes, that’s a big if — it’s possible we’ll all be saving money in the long term.

According to the American Society of Civil Engineers, 55 percent of Maryland’s roads are of poor or mediocre quality, perhaps because a full 25 percent of our pavement was constructed before 1930! Poorly maintained roads wreak havoc on vehicles to the tune of about $1.6 billion in extra repair costs per year, the ASCE estimates — that’s about $422 per driver. The ASCE translates that to a grade of C-. That’s dismal, to be sure, but slightly better than the national grade of D.