Americans strongly support investing in infrastructure, but oppose raising taxes or having private companies fund infrastructure improvements, according to a new poll conducted by the Associated Press and GfK.
Survey respondents opposed reliance on public-private partnerships to build new toll roads and bridges by a 2 to 1 margin. Only 14 percent of Americans support raising the gas tax, which is currently how the federal government funds highway and transit projects across the country. Fifty-eight percent of Americans oppose raising the tax.
Despite the public’s reluctance to pay for new infrastructure, a majority of Americans think a robust highway system benefits the economy; for drivers who get in the car multiple times per week, 62 percent think the benefit of improved roads outweighs the cost.
“No one should be surprised by a poll finding people aren’t willing to pay more for something they’re already getting at a big discount,” Brian McGuire, president of Associated Equipment Distributors told the Washington Post. “My read is that Americans understand the benefits of infrastructure but don’t understand how it’s paid for. We can either do that the responsible way — raising the gas tax or creating other new user-fee revenues — or we can continue to pass the buck to our kids and grandkids.”
While the survey respondents did not want to pay for new roads, 56 percent agreed that traffic has gotten worse in the last five years in their community. Six percent found traffic had improved, and 33 percent said that it’s stayed about the same.
NCPPP
By Editor August 7, 2014