TSTC Asks the Obvious, Yet Elusive, Pricing Poll Question

The Quinnipiac poll failed to link congestion pricing to the mass transit improvements it would bring.The pollsters asked this question: “The Bloomberg administration hassuggested using congestion pricing to reduce traffic in New York Cityby charging a fee for vehicles that drive south of 86^th Street in Manhattan. Do you support or oppose the Bloomberg administration’s congestion pricing plan?”

New Yorkers responded: 61% opposed to pricing and 33% in support.

Then the pollsters asked the question in a different way: “Would yousupport congestion pricing if the money were used to prevent anincrease in mass transit fares and bridge and tunnel tolls?”

Surprise, surprise! Support grows substantially if pricing preventsa hike in mass transit fares, with 53% supportive and 41% opposed.

Of course people don’t want to pay more if they get nothing specificin return. The question mentions a reduction in traffic congestion butthis is much less compelling than lower transit fares or better transitservice. And though congestion pricing may help soften the transit farehike blow, no one believes that it is going to prevent a transit farehike entirely.

Why didn’t Quinnipiac ask this one?

“The federal government has agreed to allocate $354 million to NYCfor bus service improvements if we approve congestion pricing.Congestion pricing revenue would also be dedicated to major transitprojects. In light of this, do you support congestion pricing as a wayto improve mass transit and speed commutes?”

“The public hearings show that New Yorkers do in fact support the concept of congestion pricing, although they may want to see the original proposal tweaked and they want to see the revenues spent on transit improvements,” said Neil Giacobbi, a consultant for Environmental Defense who attended five of the seven hearings. “Polls showing majority opposition to the original congestion pricing plan don’t take these facts into account.”