Finally, something Red and Blue America can agree on! A new poll published this week by the NRDC shows support for local investment in transit to reduce traffic crosses the country's wide political and geographic divides.
Tanya Snyder reports on the Natural Resources Defense Council poll's curious findings that show strong support for transit across the board (although reduced from the 2007 version of the poll), even though the majority of respondents had not taken transit in the last month.
"When asked what would solve traffic problems in their community," reports Snyder, "42
percent of Americans say more transit. Only 20 percent say more roads.
And 21 percent would like to see communities developed that don't
require so much driving. Two-thirds support local planning that guides
new development into existing cities and near public transportation."
"Despite a very polarized environment on Capitol Hill when it comes to transit,
there's no pronounced partisan divide in the real world. (See chart
above.) Sure, liberal Democrats are nearly five times more likely to
want transit than new roads, and conservative Republicans are only 70
percent more likely to want transit – but in the end, they all tend to
think transit is the way to go."
"The same goes for the urban/rural split. Yes, more big city residents
want public transit (50 percent) than new roads (15 percent). But even
in rural areas, 36 percent say transit versus 24 percent who want roads."
FULL STORY: NRDC Poll: Americans Support New Transit Twice as Much as New Roads
Republicans, Democrats, and Transit
Depending on how the issue is phrased, support for public transit can be bipartisan.
Thinking About Infrastructure and Housing, Part 2
Is inadequate infrastructure a reason to keep new housing out of cities?
A Tale of Three Lobbies
In the early 1990s, transportation politics at both the state and federal levels was often fairly simple: an all-powerful Road Gang (made up of real estate developers and road contractors) typically got whatever it wanted, rolling over a much weaker pro-transit coalition of environmentalists and urban politicians.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.
Can We Please Give Communities the Design They Deserve?
Often an afterthought, graphic design impacts everything from how we navigate a city to how we feel about it. One designer argues: the people deserve better.
The EV “Charging Divide” Plaguing Rural America
With “the deck stacked” against rural areas, will the great electric American road trip ever be a reality?
Judge Halts Brooklyn Bike Lane Removal
Lawyers must prove the city was not acting “arbitrarily, capriciously, and illegally” in ordering the hasty removal.
Engineers Gave America's Roads an Almost Failing Grade — Why Aren't We Fixing Them?
With over a trillion dollars spent on roads that are still falling apart, advocates propose a new “fix it first” framework.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Borough of Carlisle
Smith Gee Studio
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)