Survey shows 77% of Americans support emergency public transit funding

Nov. 23, 2020

APTA surveys show six in 10 public transit systems will need to reduce service without emergency federal funding

A majority of American voters across the political spectrum support emergency funding for public transportation so that front line workers can get to jobs and to help the economy recover, according to a recent survey.

A recent FirstView Presidential Election Post-Election survey directed by Heart+Mind Strategies found that 77% of American voters want to see emergency funding for public transportation. The survey results also found that 74% of American voters approve of the new administration and Congress taking action to fix the public transportation infrastructure crisis facing the nation, according to the American Public Transportation Association (APTA).

“These survey results clearly show that Americans not only want actions now to save public transit during the pandemic, but they want continued long-term actions that preserve and expand public transit services. APTA implores Congress and the administration to come together to provide emergency funding for public transportation as quickly as possible,” APTA President and CEO Paul P. Skoutelas said in a statement. “The crisis becomes more severe each day that Congress delays. The public transportation industry continues to serve essential employees every day, but without additional emergency funding, many transit agencies will need to make draconian cuts to transit services and routes and furlough transit workers, leaving our communities without service and jobs when they need them most.”

APTA says without at least $32 billion in additional emergency funding, many public transit agencies will soon be forced to make severe route and labor cuts, leaving communities without service and jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic. APTA’s surveys show that six in 10 public transit systems will need to reduce service and furlough employees in the coming months without emergency federal funding from Congress. In addition, more than eight in 10 businesses have seen a reduction in their transit industry business as a result of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and nearly one-third of transit industry businesses are concerned that they may go out of business if additional federal funding is not provided.

From the survey of American voters, 71% of respondents said public transportation keeps communities working and is essential to keeping society functioning.

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SOURCE: American Public Transportation Association

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