JLF wasn’t the only group to release pertinent polling information this week. OnPoint Polling and Research of Raleigh, commissioned by the Triangle Transit Authority (TTA), found that “70 percent of Triangle residents still support a commuter rail link between Durham and Raleigh, and 61 percent think the federal government should help pay for it,” according to the Durham Herald-Sun. As JLF staff and contributors noted, the poll itself was misleading. Reality is much different notes JLF adjunct scholar David Hartgen. He made these points about mass transit: On average transit riders pay about 17 percent of total operating costs; local transit systems still serve about one-half of 1 percent of regional commuting; and that the systems offset about one-quarter of 1 percent of regional air pollution or congestion. This information, and more, available as a Policy Report, hit the media hard: Asheville’s Matt Mittan (WWNC) and local news station, WLOS; the Bill LuMaye show; News 14 Carolina; and the Durham Herald-Sun. Although higher prices at the pump my inspire you to think of transit as an answer, don’t be fooled. Also, don’t think about jumping on the hybrid bandwagon, either, like Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker appears to be doing. As Chad Adams noted on WRAL, there are a lot of hidden costs involved with downsizing or changing a city’s fleet.
