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A new poll of Massachusetts voters finds 67 percent still think big changes are needed to the state transportation system, despite a dramatic increase in working from home among white-collar workers.
The survey of 797 Massachusetts registered voters by the MassINC Polling Group on behalf of the Barr Foundation was conducted from July 17-20. Final survey data was weighted by age, gender, race, education, geography and party identification, MassINC said.
Voters support raising new money for transportation in general (69 percent), as well as specific new policies that would do so. Majorities also support changes to how the system functions, including redesigning streets to give more space to biking, walking (67 percent) and outdoor dining (67 percent) and 71 percent giving lower-income riders discounts on their fares and passes.
Majorities of voters support specific policies that would raise new revenue for transportation, most of which are still under consideration as House and Senate negotiators reconcile their versions of a transportation bill, MassINC said. Those include:
- ending rental car companies’ exemption from the state’s sale and use tax (74 percent);
- “value capture” from real estate development to pay for nearby infrastructure (68 percent);
- allowing cities and towns to put local transportation projects and funding on the ballot (64 percent);
- letting cities and towns assess fees on parking spaces in large private lots and garages (55 percent); and
- increasing the state fee on trips using ride-hailing apps like Uber and Lyft (51 percent).
The attitudes exist alongside skepticism that the federal government will help the state with any COVID-19-related budget deficits; only 48 percent think such aid is likely. A substantial minority of voters – 38 percent – think the state’s transit agencies won’t have enough money to provide safe levels of service as the state continues to reopen.
The poll also revealed some indications of how the pandemic may change commuting behavior. A plurality of voters say they will ride transit less coming out of the crisis. Majorities say they will drive, walk and bike the same amount as before. Another 32 percent say they will drive more and 29 percent say they will walk more. At the same time, commuting trips may decline overall; 68 percent of employed voters say they would prefer to work from home at least a few days a week as the state reopens. Those with school-aged kids at home are particularly eager to work from home: 46 percent of parents would prefer to work from home every work day.
