AASHTO Journal, 31 May 2013
Most Americans (more than 70 percent) believe safe and efficient transportation infrastructure is at least (if not more) important to their personal livelihood and well-being than other services such as cable, cell phone service, internet, water, and household electricity and gas, according to poll results released this week by the American Road & Transportation Builders Association. However, poll respondents had trouble estimating how much they pay for transportation.
According to the survey, 78 percent of Americans said driving a vehicle is “very” or “extremely” important in their ability to go about their daily lives, while about 21 percent said the same about public transportation. Similarly, almost 90 percent of participants said they believed transportation infrastructure is important for a strong economy and 83 percent agreed that the transportation network is important in ensuring national defense and emergency response ability. Finally, 71 percent reported that no matter where people live, mounting traffic congestion in U.S. cities makes the products Americans buy more expensive.
Few respondents could identify how much they paid in gas taxes each month (an average of $46 per household). Forty percent stated outright that they did not know, while 24 percent estimated that they pay about double the amount they actually do. And while respondents valued transportation more than other services, they are paying more on average each month for household electricity and gas ($160), cell phone service ($161), and cable and internet access ($124).
“This research shows there is a disconnect between our perceived value of transportation mobility and our personal investment in the infrastructure that provides it,” said ARTBA President Pete Ruane in a statement.
The survey included more than 1,000 phone interviews completed April 4-8, collected from the Ipsos Public Affairs telephone omnibus survey, TeleNation. Additional information about the survey, including charts demonstrating the poll results, can be obtained by contacting Beth McGinn at bmcginn AT artba.org.