Survey shows broad support for Transit Expansion, Road Maintenance


The 2007 Growth and Transportation Survey, sponsored by the National Association of Realtors and Smart Growth America, reveals some interesting results:

75% of those polled said that improving public transportation and building communities that don’t require as much driving were better long-term solutions for reducing traffic. Only 21% said that building new roads provided the best solution.

…Nearly 90% believe new communities should b designed so we can walk more and drive less…

At 84% against, Americans are overwhelmingly opposed to the privatization of public roads and highways.

(Hat tip: Urban Planning Overlord blog.)


12 responses to “Survey shows broad support for Transit Expansion, Road Maintenance”

  1. I note that each question that refers to mass transit clearly articulates the word “bus”.

    It’s too bad that the folks at Metro feel that mass transit only consists of light rail and streetcar, and that busses are not important and unworthy of investment in the Portland metropolitan area.

    The last time I checked, Metro’s district includes far more than just the areas that they pick and choose. Unfortunately some areas are best served by busses, but they and TriMet are perfectly content with declining bus usage – which directly equates to MORE CARS ON THE ROADS. It would seem to me that in a progressive area like Portland that we would be doing everything possible, including increasing investment in busses, to improve access, quantity and quality of mass transit, regardless of whether you live in the Pearl, Aloha, Tualatin, Gladstone, or Gresham.

    (By the way I have access to two internal TriMet documents – one that shows that TriMet is projecting flat or declining bus ridership in the next several years; another that shows that TriMet has cancelled new bus orders for FY07 and FY08, reduced the projected number of busses to be ordered in FY09 forward, and is continuing to fail to invest in articulated busses or hybrid busses – which are catching on in nearly every major transit district across America and its cost benefits are clearly studied and proven.)

    Maybe a referendum should be placed before TriMet district voters.

  2. Line 10998, draft Metro RTP, TriMet lists $355 million for bus replacements between 2008-2035 or about $12 million per year.
    Also lines 10930 to 10981 list a dozen Frequent Bus improvements, including 12 Barbur to Sherwood.
    This is the Financially Constrained System, so is considered within reach dollarwise.

  3. Those numbers are obviously skewed in a drastic way. I’d suspect, and I am planning to review, that the questions are biased.

    If that was a poll of the general populace it wouldn’t be “as” lopsided in responses.

    Chris, where do you manage to find these polls so often?

    Needless to say, I like transit related movement, but I detest using politics and lies to further the agenda.

  4. Actually, Bob found that one :-)

    I take all polls with a grain of salt, but it’s educational to look at how the questions are asked and the different responses they elicit.

  5. I note that each question that refers to mass
    transit clearly articulates the word “bus”.

    I am not sure what your point is, but there is no mention of “bus” here:

    “Which of the following proposals is the best long-term solution to reducing traffic in your area?

    21% Build new roads
    49% Improve public transportation …or…
    26% Develop communities where people do not have to drive as much”

    I suppose there may be a difference between “public transportation” and “mass transportation” … but I am not sure what it is.

    The key point is that only 1 in 5 people think new roads are the long range solution to our transportation problems.

  6. Erik –

    Each question referring to buses also clearly articulates rail, such as “Expanding and improving bus, rail, and other mass transit” and “improvements in public
    transportation, such as trains, buses and light rail”
    , and “Provide improved public transportation including rail and buses”.

    Like Ross, I’m not sure what your point is.

  7. From checking out the links, this is a national telephone survey, and not just about transportation. I know for a fact that this would not be a survey I’d personally participate in since I have caller ID and don’t bother picking up the phone if it’s not someone I know. There are plenty of others out there who do the same, so really this is simply a survey of people who wish to be surveyed.

    In any event, 57% said they felt public transportation was either fair (27%), or poor (30%) in their area. It doesn’t look like reasons were collected. Also, it doesn’t say if people are willing to use the expanded transit service.

    My guess is if the Portland Metro Area itself were surveyed, the numbers would be different.

  8. “There are plenty of others out there who do the same, so really this is simply a survey of people who wish to be surveyed.”

    The question is whether that makes any difference. I believe the pollsters claim it doesn’t. There is a larger issue with folks who don’t have land lines at all any more.

  9. Al –

    From the survey homepage:

    The 2007 Growth and Transportation Survey was conducted by telephone among 1,000 adults living in the United States in October 2007. The study has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

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