Adults Nationwide Agree that a Good Transportation System is Important, But Half Give System Positive Ratings
Positive Ratings for Car Travel and Airlines; Negative Ratings for Bus Service, According to Harris Poll
ROCHESTER, N.Y., Feb. 7 -- The ratings for the country's transportation system is not in line with the importance the public places on it. Nearly all U.S. adults (98%) think that having a very good transportation system is very important or essential for the country. Almost as many (97%) believe it is very important or essential for the economy and economic growth, while (83%) also feel it is very important or essential for themselves and their families.
However, there is a big gap between what people believe is very important and what they think of the transportation system we have now. Only 46 percent of all adults give the transportation system in their community positive ratings, with slightly more (51%) giving positive ratings to the transportation system in the country as a whole.
These are the results of a nationwide Harris Poll of 1,961 adults surveyed online by Harris Interactive(R) between December 8 and 14, 2005.
Ratings of Nine Passenger Transportation Modes
While the public is roughly split between those who give positive and negative ratings to the transportation system as a whole, they give very different ratings to different modes of transportation. Substantial majorities give positive ratings to long distance travel by car (69%), local travel by car (64%) and airlines (62%), while minorities give positive ratings to long distance travel by bus (41%) and local bus services (43%). Adults are split more or less equally between those who give positive and negative ratings to pedestrian travel (52% positive, 48% negative), commuter trains (51% positive, 49% negative), long-distance trains (49% positive, 51% negative) and travel by bicycle (46% positive, 54% negative).
These numbers reflect what people think of these different modes of transportation now, not their priorities and preferences for the future, which will be presented in an upcoming Harris Poll release.
TABLE 1
IMPORTANCE OF VERY GOOD TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM
FOR COUNTRY, ECONOMY AND YOU
"Overall, how important do you think having a very good transportation system is for ... ?"
Base: All adults
Essential
or
Essential Very Not Very Unimportant Very
Important Important Important
(NET)
The country as a
whole % 54 44 2 * 98
The economy and
economic growth % 57 40 2 1 97
You and your family % 24 59 15 2 83
Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding.
* Less than 0.5%.
TABLE 2
OVERALL RATING OF TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM IN OWN COMMUNITY AND
IN COUNTRY AS A WHOLE
"Thinking of your community, that is where you live, work, or go to school, how would you rate the transportation system overall?"
"Thinking of the country as a whole, how would you rate the transportation system overall?"
Base: All adults
In Your Community In Country As A Whole
% %
Positive (excellent/good) 46 51
Excellent 6 6
Good 40 45
Negative (only fair/poor) 54 49
Only fair 35 39
Poor 19 10
Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding.
TABLE 3
OVERALL RATING OF NINE TRANSPORTATION MODES
"Thinking of these items all combined -- congestion, energy efficiency, cost, environmental impact, safety and reliability, how would you rate the following passenger transportation services?"
Base: All adults
Negative
Only Positive (NET) (NET)
Excellent Good Fair Poor (Excellent/Good) (Only
Fair/Poor)
Long
distance
travel by
car % 12 56 26 5 69 31
Local travel
by car % 13 51 29 7 64 36
Airlines % 10 53 32 6 62 38
Pedestrian
travel % 13 39 33 15 52 48
Commuter
trains % 8 43 33 17 51 49
Long
distance
trains % 8 41 37 14 49 51
Travel by
bicycle % 13 32 36 19 46 54
Local bus
service % 6 38 37 19 43 57
Long
distance
bus service % 3 37 44 15 41 59
Note: Percentages may not add up to 100%, or to positive and negative totals, due to rounding
Methodology
The Harris Poll(R) was conducted online within the United States between December 8 and 14, 2005 among 1,961 adults (aged 18 and over). Figures for age, sex, race, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents' propensity to be online.
In theory, with probability samples of this size, one could say with 95 percent certainty that the overall results have a sampling error of plus or minus 2 percentage points of what they would be if the entire U.S. adult population had been polled with complete accuracy. Sampling error for the various sub-samples listed in the tables above is higher and varies. Unfortunately, there are several other possible sources of error in all polls or surveys that are probably more serious than theoretical calculations of sampling error. They include refusals to be interviewed (nonresponse), question wording and question order, and weighting. It is impossible to quantify the errors that may result from these factors. This online sample was not a probability sample.
These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.
J26225 Q700, 705, 711, 721 The Harris Poll(R) #13, February 7, 2006 By Humphrey Taylor, chairman of The Harris Poll, Harris Interactive(R) About Harris Interactive(R)
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