The TTA?s poll on, uh, support for the TTA is not exactly the most impressive piece of survey research I?ve seen lately. Indeed, compare their simplistic, out-of-context questions, yes or no, with the questions we had on our Wake County poll on the topic. It didn?t simply ask about support detached from alternatives. It asked respondents these three questions:

Turning to the issue of transportation, Wake officials say that there are $12 billion in local construction needs over the next 25 years but only $6 billion in expected revenues from gas taxes, property taxes, and other sources. Which of the following statements best reflects your view about this gap: 1) transportation users need to pay higher taxes or fees to finance needed improvements, or 2) government needs to set firm priorities with existing transportation revenues.

16 percent – USERS/HIGHER TAXES/FEES
74 percent – GOVT/PRIORITIES/REVENUE
10 percent – NOT SURE

In the Wake region?s 25-year plan for transportation spending, almost one-third of the funding is devoted to mass transit and other alternative transportation projects. Which statement is closest to your view: 1) the plan strikes the right balance between highway projects and alternatives, 2) the plan focuses too much on highways, 3) the plan focuses too much on transit and other alternatives.
# %
23 percent – STRIKES RIGHT BALANCE
20 percent – FOCUSES TOO MUCH/HIGHWAYS
40 percent – FOCUSES TOO MUCH/TRANSIT
17 percent – NOT SURE

A major component of the plan is the Triangle Transit Authority?s planned rail line between Raleigh and Durham. Given the projected gap between expected revenue and planned projects, which statement best reflects your view: 1) the rail line should stay in the plan, even if that means higher taxes or less spending on other transportation projects, or 2) the rail line should be removed from the plan so state and local dollars can be spent on other projects.

30 percent – RAIL LINE STAY IN PLAN
63 percent – RAIL LINE REMOVED/PLAN
7 percent – NOT SURE

As you can see, our questions do not yield respondents biased in an anti-transit direction. When asked cold, in theory, many voters do see transit as a legitimate part of the package. But when you probe their priorities with existing dollars, it becomes clear that most would trade the choo-choo for a road.

More details on the poll here.