Countywide : Transportation Priorities Told

Orange County residents prefer new passenger rail service to buses, have trouble identifying projects funded with Measure M sales tax proceeds, and still don’t make the connection between their driving behavior and air pollution. 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 that would link Orange County to Los Angeles, Riverside and San Diego counties FUNDING PRIORITY High: 54% Medium: 28% Low: 16% Don’t know: 2% Providing programs that encourage commuter ride-sharing and van-pooling FUNDING PRIORITY High: 54 Medium: 28 Low: 16 Don’t know: 2 Building a local rail system that would link the major cities and employment centers within Orange County FUNDING PRIORITY High: 46 Medium: 32 Low: 19 Don’t know: 3 Providing shuttle buses that run in the freeway car-pool lanes between park-and-ride lots and employment centers in Orange County FUNDING PRIORITY High: 43 Medium: 35 Low: 20 Don’t know: 2 Increasing bus service between neighborhoods and local shopping centers FUNDING PRIORITY High: 34 Medium: 34 Low: 29 Don’t know: 3 AWARENESS In the past few months, have you seen or heard about any transportation projects that are paid for by Measure M funds? Yes: 35% No: 57% Don’t know: 8% AIR POLLUTION How much of the air pollution problem in Orange County do you think is caused by people driving their automobiles? Most: 52% Some: 36% Small, none: 11% Don’t know: 1% USE OF MEASURE M FUNDS How satisfied are you with the way that Measure M funds are being used on transportation projects in Orange County? Satisfied: 48% Not satisfied: 26% Don’t know: 26% Among those aware of M projects Satisfied: 75% Not satisfied: 13% Don’t know: 12% Among those not aware of M projects Satisfied: 33% Not satisfied: 33% Don’t know: 34% The Orange County Transportation Authority commissioned the questions as part of this year’s Orange County Annual Survey. Conducted by Mark Baldassare and research associate Cheryl Katz, the survey polled 1,012 adult residents by phone between Aug. 26 and Sept. 2 and has a margin for error of plus or minus 3%. Source: 1992 Orange County Annual Survey, UC Irvine