Rail Service Is No. 1 Priority, Survey Finds : Transportation: Public loses zest for new freeways, has doubts about handling of revenue from half-cent sales tax.

A road-weary public is clamoring for more commuter trains to surrounding counties while losing its enthusiasm for construction of new freeways as a solution to traffic woes, according to the 1991 Orange County Annual Survey.

The survey also shows that one year after residents approved a half-cent sales tax hike for traffic improvements, they doubt the ability of transportation officials to spend the new tax revenue wisely.

Commuter rail was rated Orange County’s No. 1 transportation priority, with 69% of those polled saying it was a “high” priority. Some 62% said synchronized traffic signals on major streets are a high priority, while 56% said the same for widening existing freeways. Only 33% ranked new freeways highly--down 4% from a year ago.

The current economic recession may be influencing the public’s transportation priorities, says Mark Baldassare, a UCI social ecology professor who conducted the annual survey with research associate Cheryl Katz.

“Orange County consumers are interested in commuter rail going to Los Angeles and surrounding counties because they see it as maybe broadening opportunities for themselves, for looking beyond the local job market or the local housing market for other options,” Baldassare said.

“For instance, you may have someone going to Moreno Valley for housing but who wants to keep their job here, or they want to take advantage of a job in Los Angeles but want to keep their home here. It’s reflective of how costly it is to live here and how tight jobs are right now.”

The findings are from one segment of the 1991 Orange County Annual Survey that contained 10 questions paid for by the Orange County Transportation Authority. The survey polled 1,002 adult residents by phone between Sept. 3 and 20. The margin of error for the total sample is plus or minus 3%. Results from the rest of the survey, which contains questions posed by other government and corporate sponsors, will be released next month.

Only 21% of those surveyed said they’ve noticed any improvements in Orange County’s traffic situation since voters a year ago approved the half-cent tax hike for highway and transit projects. A fifth said they believe Measure M funds are being spent wisely.

A lawsuit filed by the Libertarian Party Central Committee of Orange County and Drivers for Highway Safety has prevented officials from spending Measure M proceeds. The suit claims that Measure M should have required a two-thirds majority vote to pass instead of a simple majority it received.

Nevertheless, officials have funded some Measure M projects with money borrowed against existing reserves, including new car-pool lanes on the Orange Freeway, the Beach Boulevard “super street” project, purchase of railroad rights of way and redesign of the El Toro Y.

The survey questions and results are similar to the findings of an OCTA poll released two weeks ago. Trains were the preferred solution in that poll, as 63% of those polled said they support construction of a rail system.

That finding in part led OCTA board members to unanimously approve a $4.4-billion, 20-year rail plan last week. The OCTA survey, conducted by Sacramento-based J. Moore Methods Inc., limited its sample to 600 registered voters.

The $4.4-billion plan includes a 47-mile, $2.2-billion elevated urban rail system connected to the Los Angeles Metro Rail network, new commuter trains between Riverside and Irvine, and expanded commuter service between Oceanside and Los Angeles on the existing Amtrak line that parallels Interstate 5.

Other annual survey findings:

* The strongest support for commuter rail is in West Orange County--71%--where locals complain bitterly about being left out of OCTA’s initial rail plans.

* Building new freeways drew its strongest support in South County, although even there a minority of residents--40%--gave it a high priority ranking.

In Favor of Rail

The increasing popularity of commuter rail is revealed by the response to the following survey question: “There are not enough funds to support all the transportation projects that have been planned for Orange County. Do you consider each of the following projects to be of high priority, medium priority or low priority if funds become available?”

Building a commuter rail system in O.C. with connections in L.A., Riverside and San Diego counties: High: 69% Medium: 19% Low: 12%

Synchronizing traffic signals on major streets: High: 62% Medium: 23% Low: 15%

Widening existing freeways: High: 56% Medium: 31% Low: 13%

Spending Priorities (in percent) High Medium Low* Building a local rail 49 22 29 transportation system Providing express bus 45 32 23 service on high- occupancy freeway lanes Improving local streets 33 41 26 Improving local bus service 33 26 41 Building new freeways 33 32 35

Trends Over Time (Percent saying it is a “High Priority”) Widening existing freeways 1984: 49% 1990: 56% 1991: 56% Building a local rail system 1984: N/A 1990: 56% 1991: 69% Building new freeways 1984: 21% 1990: 39% 1991: 33% Improving local Streets 1984: 25% 1990: 37% 1991: 33% SOURCE: UC Irvine

Spending Measure M Money

People remain skeptical about Measure M, the half-cent increase in sales tax approved by voters a year ago to fund traffic improvements.

“Have you noticed any improvements to Orange County’s traffic problems as a result of Measure M?” NO: 69% YES: 21% DON’T KNOW: 10%

“In your opinion, are Measure M funds being spent wisely?” NO: 40% YES: 20% DON’T KNOW: 40%