Third-Annual Citizen's Poll Shows
Majority of Colorado Voters Rate Transportation System Poor or Fair
Analysis by Floyd Ciruli
October 17, 2008
Little Support for Funding Options
A majority of Colorado voters rate the state’s transportation system fair or poor (54%). Only 5 percent give it an excellent rating, and 39 percent say it is good. Three times more voters rate the system poor than rate it excellent.
The Third-Annual Citizens’ Poll, sponsored by the Economic Development Council of Colorado (EDCC), surveyed voters’ views of the state’s transportation system and optional fund strategies. The statewide poll of 501 likely November voters was conducted by Ciruli Associates from September 19-23, 2008.
Question: Thinking about transportation, how would you rate the state’s transportation systems – its highways, bridges and transit? Would you say the state’s transportation system is excellent, good, fair or poor?
The Third-Annual Citizens’ Poll was sponsored by the Economic Development Council of Colorado (EDCC), a statewide consortium of local and regional economic development professionals. This marks the third consecutive year of the EDCC’s poll on economic development and government issues. The statewide survey was conducted by Ciruli Associates with 501 randomly selected Colorado voters. The statistical range of error is ±4.4 percentage points.
Transportation Funding
Voters were asked to review a variety of options to fund transportation needs. The Governor’s Colorado Transportation Finance and Implementation Panel has identified an annual requirement of $1.5 billion more in statewide spending as federal funding has declined due to lower gas tax receipts and federal budget constraints.
The only transportation funding concept tested that received majority support was allowing local areas to create regional (multi-county) transportation authorities to develop their own funding proposals and take any tax or fee increase the proposal would require to the voters for their approval or rejection. Several authorities have been created in recent years. Creating local authorities is controversial because they reduce the likelihood that a statewide solution will attract voter support from areas that adopt regional solutions – thereby, making an integrated transportation system more difficult to create and leaving poorer areas without sufficient financial resources.
The concept received its highest support in the North Front Range and its lowest support on the Eastern Plains, an area that is especially vulnerable if funds and voter support are directed to Front Range and Western Slope regional authorities.
| Transportation Funding Options Rated Good Ideas by Region and Party |
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Region
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Funding
Concepts
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Allow local transportation authorities
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Increase state sales tax 0.5%
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Add tolls on state roads
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Increase gas tax 5 cents a gallon
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Add $100 auto registration fee
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| Ciruli Associates, N501, 2008 |
Question: Major repairs and improvements in the state’s transportation system will cost several billion dollars, and federal transportation funding has declined, according to a statewide task force studying the issue. As I read options to pay for the repairs and improvements, please tell me if you believe it is a good or bad idea: [Rotated] Increase the state sales tax by one-half of a percent for 10 years; increase the state tax on a gallon of gas by 5 cents; add more tolls on state highways; add a $100 annual fee on auto registration; and allow local areas to form their own regional transportation authorities that can raise taxes if local voters approve?
The only other proposal getting close to majority support was a one-half-cent state sales tax increase (46%). The three other tax and fee increases did very poorly, receiving support from less than one-third of voters.
| Proposals and Regions Offering Highest Support for Funding Concept |
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Proposal and % Saying Good Idea
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Top Two Regions Supporting as Good Idea
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Local authorities (53%)
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North Front Range (63%), Western Slope (59%)
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Sales tax increase (46%)
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Western Slope (52%), Metro area (47%)
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Toll roads (30%)
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Metro area (32%), Western Slope (28%)
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Gas tax increase (24%)
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Metro area (28%), Western Slope (25%)
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$100 auto registration fee (18%)
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Eastern Plains (27%), Western Slope (22%)
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| Ciruli Associates, N501, 2008 |
The Western Slope was the most willing to advocate funding approaches, giving local authorities strong support and majority support to a state sales tax. The North Front Range was also a strong advocate for local transportation authorities.
Funding Proposals on the Ballot
Efforts to fund Colorado transportation needs have met with mixed success during the post-TABOR era. Statewide, voters have been more supportive of funding schemes that did not require new or increased taxes. The Denver metro area has used a sales tax successfully to fund transit improvement in the RTD region. Counties, such as Adams and Douglas, have also been successful in enacting and then extending sales taxes for local transportation improvements and maintenance.
Survey Design
The 501 respondents of the telephone survey were selected from a random sample of Colorado registered voters who regularly vote in presidential-year elections. Voters were then screened to determine their likelihood to vote. Statistical range of accuracy in 19 out of 20 cases is plus or minus 4.4 percentage points for a sample size of 501 – meaning that 95 percent of the time if all voters with telephones in Colorado had been surveyed, the findings would differ from the survey results by no more than plus or minus 4.4 percentage points. Survey results can be affected by other factors, such as question wording and order.
