AASHTO Journal, 2 May 2014
In a series of survey results released Thursday by the American Road & Transportation Builders Association and the American Public Transportation Association, voters voiced their strong support for transportation infrastructure and federal investment to keep that infrastructure in good condition for the economy and for citizens.
The surveys, conducted in seven states, asked voters several questions regarding the role transportation plays for them as individuals and the role it plays in growing the economy. The surveys also sought to gauge voter feelings on those elected officials who support transportation investment versus those that do not. The surveys were conducted by Purple Insights from Jan. 15-20 of this year through telephone and online interviews, with 500 individuals interviewed per state.
In Ohio, survey-takers found that 89 percent of voters “recognized that roads, bridges, and public transportation are essential to their own daily activities, with over half (59 percent) naming it ‘very important.'” That number was mirrored in other states as well: 88 percent in Michigan (56 percent called it “very important”), 87 percent in Georgia (with 61 percent naming it “very important”), and 86 percent in New York (where 56 percent said it was “very important”). Additionally, the survey found that well over 90 percent of respondents across all states said transportation is important to the state’s overall economy. That number was 95 percent in New York, 93 percent in Michigan and Ohio, and 91 percent in Georgia.
No matter voter party affiliation, survey respondents said it was important for Congress to address the crisis facing the Highway Trust Fund, as a major source of transportation funding for each state. More than 90 percent of New York respondents said it was important for Congress to take action, compared to 89 percent in Michigan, 88 percent in Ohio, and 87 percent in Georgia. Relatedly, the survey asked how each voter would feel if his or her member of Congress did not help to secure federal investment for each state’s roads and bridges. In response, 63 percent of New York voters said they would have less favorable feelings toward their representative, while that number was 61 percent in Ohio, 60 percent in Michigan, and 59 percent in Georgia.
“Transportation is bipartisan,” according to asurvey result summary. “Voters across party lines find it important, and voters across party lines want to see Congress take action. Lawmakers considering inaction may face political consequences.”
ARTBA and APTA said information was also collected from Kansas, Louisiana and South Dakota. Those states will be holding events soon to release that data.