Americans Want Expanded and Better Funded Public Transportation

Two-thirds of Americans strongly support increased public transportation options.
As Americans, we are famously known for our wanderlust; we cannot stand to be hemmed in. But with our current transportation system, we are feeling increasingly trapped in an auto-centric world and want out.

A poll released today by Smart Growth America and Transportation for America reveals the extent to which Americans want broad access to a variety of transportation choices, an expanded system, and double the amount of federal funding currently allocated to public transportation.

These results were not just found in big metropolitan areas. In rural areas, 79% of those polled felt that the U.S. would benefit from expanded and improved rail and bus systems, and 82% suburbanites support increased transportation freedom.

In a country that loves choice, 73% of Americans claim they have no option but to drive as much as they do (only 1 in 5 Americans polled took public transportation in the past month—even including walking). Access is the principle barrier for most polled: approximately 47% of those polled said that public transportation is not available in their community and another 35% lament the inconvenience and timing of routes.

Americans want this status quo to change. Those polled want choices and expanded transportation options. Two-thirds of those polled strongly agree to greater transportation options so that they have the freedom to choose how to get where they need to go. And even in this economic climate, a close majority of 52% supports raising taxes in order to expand and improve public transportation in their community. From rural communities to urban areas, those polled want increased public transportation funding.

Currently, 80 cents out of every federal transportation dollar is allocated to highways, while only 17 cents go towards our public transportation system, which includes ferries, rail systems, bus lines, and light rail. Those polled accurately guessed that the federal government hands out a paltry sum to public transportation. While the average guess was 19 cents to the dollar, the mean ideal allocation almost doubles the current spending, preferring that public transportation receive 37 cents to every dollar.

And the benefits of a larger and better funded public transportation system? Choice and expanded mobility were seen as the top preferred results and the most likely outcomes of increased funding. Broadened transportation choice was closely followed by the preference that public transportation be funded so that low-wage workers, seniors, and disabled have an easier time getting where they need to go.

Beyond the basic desire to improve car-less travel from point A to point B, more than 2/3 of those polled also saw co-benefits of reduced traffic congestion, quality of life and safety improvements, cheaper transportation options, and the creation and maintenance of good, long terms jobs. And a majority of those polled also agreed that increased funding will reduce our dependence on foreign oil, reduce air pollution, and global warming emissions. Not bad options.

So what does this all mean? Americans throughout the country, from those in rural communities and to those in bustling cities, support public transportation and want to see federal dollars improve and expand the existing system. We are a country that prizes the freedom to travel without hindrance and an expanded public transportation for the 21^st century is completely aligned with this sentiment.