A poll conducted by the N&O and WRAL-TV made front page news today. The story states that the poll purports to find support for mass transit.
There are a few problems with the poll, however. For example, take this question: “What kind of additional mass transit does the Triangle need in the future?”
A better question would have been “does the Triangle need mass transit?” The above question limits the respondent’s thoughtful answer. The problem with many of these polls is that they project the answer the poller is looking for. It would have been nice to have a question on the choice between roads or mass transit. It would have been nice if the pollsters would ask if the respondent would support rail even if it costs X amount (as in millions/billions).
All told, the numbers of those who prefer rail is unimpressive. After all, there’s a 5% chance the poll is not representative of the population.
To view the poll results, go here.
