This week, the Rockefeller Foundation released findings for a survey conducted by Hart Research Associates and Public Opinion Strategies earlier this year. The survey targeted 1001 registered voters and sought to determine their perspectives on infrastructure needs and the government's ability (or lack thereof) to meet those needs.

The survey shows strong voter support for strengthening transportation infrastructure, but an unwillingness to raise taxes to pay for it. The survey's major findings are listed below:

• “Americans want leaders to seek common ground across a host of issues, but they want it on transportation legislation more than any other area.” In fact, 71% of voters want legislators to compromise and work seriously toward infrastructure goals.
• 66% of voters believe that transportation infrastructure is very important and 44% find current roads and public transportation options to be inadequate.
• Voters believe infrastructure building to be key to the nation’s economic success; 80% suggested that improving transportation would build local economies and create jobs while maintaining the United States’ financial stability and dominance in world markets. These ideas reiterate President Obama’s vision for strengthening the nation’s transportation infrastructure.
• Key among the transportation improvements voters would like to see are safer roads (57% of respondents) and more transportation options (32% of respondents).
• 64% of voters find government spending on transportation issues to be inefficient and they are calling for reform. According to the survey, “two-thirds or more of respondents favor nine of the 10 reforms tested in the survey, with the highest levels of support for holding government accountable for collecting data and certifying that all projects are delivered on time and fit into an overall national plan (90% favor), and allowing local regions to have a greater say in how transportation dollars are used in their area (90% favor), and having a ‘fix it first’ policy that focuses on maintaining existing
  transportation systems before building new ones (86% favor).”
• Finally, voters want to see legislators reach a solution for funding infrastructure projects without increasing gas taxes or tolls. Most (75%) support private financing and proposals for a national infrastructure bank (60%).

The survey can be read in full at: http://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/uploads/files/80e28432-0790-4d42-91ec-afb6d11febee.pdf