Poll: Americans like transit

Convenient to home/work

Jon Boyd, Oct 18, 10.

Most Americans will use transit if it’s convenient and most think there are many times when it’s a better option than driving, according to some results published at PR Newswire. America THINKS Survey polled 1,000 adults nationwide by an online survey, according to PR Newswire:

According to the HNTB America THINKS transit survey, nearly 9 in 10 (87 percent) Americans who have access to public transportation where they work or live take advantage of it. In addition, almost 7 in 10 (69 percent) Americans feel there are many times when public transit is a better option than driving, and nearly three in ten of them choose higher gas prices (29 percent) and convenience (29 percent) as the biggest motivators for riding public transportation.

“Whether it’s buses, commuter trains, light rail or streetcars, public transportation is an essential element for our communities,” said Elizabeth Rao, chair public transit services for HNTB. “People like transit and successful cities deliver it.”

Approximately 1 in 4 respondents think the most valuable feature of public transportation is that it reduces traffic congestion (28 percent), or saves users money (24 percent), while about 1 in 7 (13 percent) say it’s most valuable feature is the environmental benefit.

“Healthy transportation infrastructure is economically and environmentally sound. It spurs job creation, stimulates the economy, reduces dependence on foreign oil and enhances quality of life,” said Rao. “Unfortunately decades of underinvestment have taken their toll.”

The nation’s largest public transit agencies face an $80 billion maintenance backlog just to bring their rail systems to a state of good repair. Within the next six years, almost every transit vehicle (55,000 vehicles) in rural America will need to be replaced.

Even amid budget and service cutbacks due to the recession, 68 percent of Americans say the overall quality of public transportation in their area has stayed the same or improved during the last five years. Among respondents with public transportation in their area, 58 percent say it has stayed about the same, while 25 percent think it has improved.