March 15, 2011 - 11:29pm
The RTA business leadership group released the results of its annual transit poll on Tuesday, March 15. This is the third RTA poll since the approval of long-range transit plans by our region’s two metropolitan planning organizations for transportation in 2009. The chambers of commerce in Raleigh, Durham, Cary, Chapel Hill, and Holly Springs all provided funding assistance for this cooperative poll on public transit.
‘‘Nearly 60% of voters in the western Triangle counties of Durham and Orange would be willing to support a half-cent sales tax to improve transit offerings,” said Paul Fallon of Fallon Research and Communications of Columbus, OH. “While the support is conceptual since the respondents were not reacting to a specific package of bus and rail investments, that is still strong support given the ongoing sluggishness of the economy and the presence of the existing temporary sales tax.”
“Although Wake County has dropped slightly since 2010, support for the sales tax remains above 50%,” Fallon noted. “If gas were to increase to $4/gallon, more than 20% of voters said that that would make them more likely to support the tax to improve transit options.”
Joe Milazzo II, PE, RTA Executive Director, stated that “While the support for the tax has gone down slightly in both Orange and Wake, the support for a sales tax remains above 50% in all counties, with overall support for transit as a benefit near 80% regionwide,” said Milazzo.
Travel to Research Triangle Park was the top destination for Wake voters, with travel between counties the second choice. Travel between counties was listed first by both Durham and Orange respondents.
If forced to choose between expanded bus or rail systems, Orange and Durham voters supported an expanded bus network while Wake voters focused on enhancing rail. Regardless of their preference, more than 75% of voters in all counties felt that they will benefit from enhanced public transit.
Click on the links below for the news release, regional snapshot, and county by-county results for this year's poll.For more information on this poll or past polls, visit letsgetmoving.org/poll. The RTA will continue its series of community feedback initiatives during the coming months as the region explores transit options.
Downloads
2011 RTA transit poll news release
2011 RTA transit poll regional snapshot
2011 RTA transit poll county-by-county
Selected media coverage
Durham Herald-Sun
Raleigh News&Observer
WRAL TV-5
Independent weekly
