Recent Polling and Vote Results

Washington residents consistently support transportation choices with their votes, even when it means a tax increase

By early 2006, 20 of Washington's transit systems have had their citizens vote "yes" to support their bus service, by increasing the local sales tax. These transit ballot measures have been brought forward to help local transit agencies replace funding lost with the passage of Tim Eyman's car tab tax-cutting initiative I-695 in 1999. Transit ballot measures have passed across the state including Benton-Franklin, Kitsap, Clallam, Grays Harbor, Lewis, Asotin, Jefferson and Island counties.

In 2004, 67% of Seattle voters rejected Initiative 83, a measure to recall the Seattle Monorail Project. By defeating the initiative that would have stopped the new monorail, residents endorsed the project once again at the polls.

In 2002, Seattle voters first passed the plan to build a monorail line, at significant taxpayer cost.

In 2001, a poll of 800 Washington residents found that 72% from the west side of the Cascades and 63% of those polled from Eastern Washington felt it's important to have the state fund a portion of mass transit or bus projects, passenger only ferries, or freight and passenger rail improvements.

In 1996, a majority of voters in the urbanized areas of King, Snohomish and Pierce counties approved $2.9 billion in taxes to fund the Sound Transit program of light rail, regional buses and commuter rail.

Washington residents see the need for a change in transportation, and see transportation choices as very important

In 2003, a survey found that 74% of respondents in the Central Puget Sound area think traffic will be worse in five years that it is today, and the percentage of respondents who complain about congestion, or lack of transportation choices has doubled since a similar survey was last taken.

In 2003, a significantly lower percentage of Central Puget Sound respondents (56%) reported 'good' and 'excellent' ratings of their town when it comes to the ability to get around by bicycle than did respondents of the U.S. Western Region (69%) and the entire U.S. (65%).

In 2003, 58% of respondents in Central Puget Sound said they favored using technology and incentive programs to make existing roadways more efficient, rather than add new road capacity - building or widening roads and highways.

In 2002, a statewide poll found that 55% of polled voters thought we cannot build our way of congestion and should focus funding on transportation choices and alternatives to larger roads and highways. Only 33% of polled voters felt that adding lanes to existing roads was the solution.

In early 2002, a Hart poll of King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish county residents found 65% in support and 28% in opposition to the idea of a plan, funded partly by a tax increase, to improve the region's transportation system including roads, highways, bridges, ferries and mass transit. But, when asked what they thought about the idea of a gas tax increase of 8 cents over 2 years to go mostly to improvements to the highway system and only some to mass transit, support dropped to 49% and opposition increased to 39%.

In early 2002, a poll of 700 voters from King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish counties found that voters favor a regional transportation improvement plan with a focus on expanded bus, rail and ferry service and a small amount of funding for road projects over a plan with a roads focus and only a small amount of funding for public transit.

In November 2002, voters turned down Referendum 51, a proposed statewide gas tax increase to fund mostly road construction (with comparitively little for transit expansion and other choices). R-51 failed in every county in the state except one. It may have signaled a growing weariness on the part of taxpayers for new taxes - for anything. But polling running up to the vote also indicated that citizens want a new direction in transportation; and see mass transit and other choices as very important.

In February 2001, a poll commissioned by the Washington State Department of Transportation found that 86% of polled residents of Interstate 405 corridor supported taking steps to reduce the number of car trips people take; 85% supported expanding bus service; 69% reported that traffic congestion is having a direct impact on their jobs and lives, and that a solution needs to be found.

In early 2001, a poll of 800 Washington residents found that 72% from the west side of the Cascades and 63% of those polled from Eastern Washington felt it's important to have the state fund a portion of mass transit or bus projects, passenger only ferries, or freight and passenger rail improvements.

In 2000, voters statewide turned down Initiative 745 with a 59% no vote to 41% yes. This anti-transit proposal contained no tax increase or decrease, but would have allocated 90% of all transportation funds to spending on roads only. 44 of the state's 49 legislative districts voted against I-745.

Americans favor increased investment in pedestrian and bicycle facilities

In 2003, a Gallup poll conducted for the National Highway Safety Administration and the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, found that 73% of respondents believed that communities should provide bicycle-specific facilities such as trails, paths and traffic signals, and the 75% believe that changes were necessary to improve and expand pedestrian facilities such as sidewalks, signals and crosswalks.

Also in 2003, a survey conducted for America Bikes found that a majority of Americans want to bicycle more and are willing to invest tax dollars in creating better places to bike. 53% of those surveyed supported increased federal spending on bicycle facilities, even if it means less gas taxes go to construction of new roads.

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