More than 7 in 10 Americans Support Increased Federal Funding for Public Transit in Communities of All Sizes
Washington, DC – A new national survey reveals that more than 7 in 10 Americans support increased federal funding for the nation’s public transportation systems, including those that serve small cities, towns, and large urban areas. The survey was conducted by ORC International for the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) and it shows support for increased funding for public transit is consistent across communities of all sizes.
Support for increased public transportation funding was also seen across age groups and political affiliations, with some of the highest numbers among Millennials ages 18 – 34 (77%) and individuals age 65 and older (76%).
“No matter where you live and work – and what age you are, public transit provides vital access to jobs and everything a community has to offer,” said APTA President and CEO Michael P. Melaniphy. “As Congress finalizes its work on the surface transportation bill, we must ensure we provide for both large and smaller communities through growth of the federal transit program.”
Owning or having access to a private vehicle does not diminish public transit support across the nation, with 71% of car owners reporting that they want to see more federal investment in public transportation in both large and small communities. In addition, a majority (56%) of respondents said public transit is important in attracting and retaining employers in their community
When asked about the types of public transit survey respondents are familiar with in their community, they noted scheduled bus (57%), van/buses for persons with disabilities (51%), passenger train (40%), inter-state bus (37%), commuter vanpools (27%), trolleys (20%) and ferries (19%).
The national online study was conducted for APTA by ORC International in the summer of 2015 among a sample of 1,019 individuals age 18 or older. The results have a 95 percent confidence level.
For more details on the survey results, visit www.apta.com.
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The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) is a nonprofit international association of 1,500 public and private sector organizations, engaged in the areas of bus, paratransit, light rail, commuter rail, subways, waterborne services, and intercity and high-speed passenger rail. This includes: transit systems; planning, design, construction, and finance firms; product and service providers; academic institutions; transit associations and state departments of transportation. APTA is the only association in North America that represents all modes of public transportation. APTA members serve the public interest by providing safe, efficient and economical transit services and products More than 90 percent of the people using public transportation in the United States and Canada ride APTA member systems.
