Nearly Three-Fourths of Motorists Agree More Money is Needed to Improve Our Transportation System, According to New AAA Survey.

AAA Unveils "Motorists' Bill of Rights" as Starting Point for Building Public Support

WASHINGTON -- Have we finally reached a tipping point where a sizeable majority of the public believe increased funding for transportation is needed? According to a new AAA survey released today, over 70 percent of the public agree that more money is needed to maintain and improve our transportation system because we are not keeping pace with demands on the system.

AAA's "Pockets of Pain" report, which is a nationwide survey that examines public opinion on transportation funding issues in pockets of congested areas as well as the rest of the country, reveals that two-thirds (64%) of motorists believe that in the last three years, the traffic they experience has become more congested.

"In previous surveys and focus groups, we've seen more reluctance to increasing funding for transportation," said Robert L. Darbelnet, AAA president and CEO in a speech given at the National Conference of State Legislatures Transportation Leaders meeting in San Antonio, Texas. "Common responses used to be 'I already pay enough,' or 'existing funds aren't invested efficiently,' or 'I don't trust my state DOT to do the right thing,' I think the strong support for more funding we find in this survey bodes well for the challenges ahead of us. But we must remember, when motorists are asked to pay more, they must receive direct and recognizable improvements to their travel experience."

When respondents were asked to choose from a number of funding options, the public did not favor using general purpose revenues. In fact, the most frequent choice - 52% - was some form of toll option to help raise money to fund our transportation system. The most popular options are those that add tolls to only new roads and highway lanes (39%).

Despite the majority of opinion that more funds are needed to address increasing congestion, there appears to be little support for increasing non-fuel taxes such as sales, income, and property taxes, with only about 15 percent favoring this method. Only 21 percent of respondents favored increasing the gas tax. And only 19 percent of respondents favor a new financing method of imposing a vehicle miles traveled tax based on the number of miles a person drives, indicating that more education and outreach must occur if policymakers advance this option.

When respondents were asked to rank a list of national priorities, transportation did not fare well. In order of importance, the respondents produced the following ranking: 1) Healthcare (26% rated most important), 2) National Security (25%), 3) Education (24%), 4) Social Security (12%), 5) Energy Independence (9%), and 6) Transportation (3%).

"That is a disappointing finding in our survey but not necessarily surprising. It demonstrates how much work all of us have to do to educate Americans about the importance of transportation to securing our economy and our way of life," said Darbelnet. "When the transportation system does not work, Americans feel the pain. It is vital not only for commuting to work, but for personal travel and freight mobility. It is essential for national security as well - such as evacuating people in times of natural or man-made disasters."

As elected officials begin to ponder future transportation funding options both locally and nationally, Darbelnet laid down a marker for building public support for transportation funding by unveiling AAA's Motorists Bill of Rights (log on to www.AAA.com/publicaffairs). These ten principles outline a series of core values. Darbelnet emphasized the importance of having a vision for transportation that addresses 21st century needs, ensures broad access and adequate funding, and equitably allocates benefits and payments among users.

"If motorists are asked to pay more for transportation in the future, they must be assured a return on investment that includes increased safety and reliability, and reduced congestion - quality of life issues," Darbelnet said. "We are prepared to fully consider, on behalf of motorists, every structural and financing proposal put on the table. But, funding proposals must be put in the context of a larger vision and purpose for the national program."

Results of the AAA's "Pockets of Pain" survey of 2,394 respondents have a margin of error of +/-2%.

As North America's largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides more than 49 million members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services. Since its founding in 1902, the not-for-profit, fully tax-paying AAA has been a leader and advocate for the safety and security of all travelers. AAA clubs can be visited on the Internet at www.AAA.com.

Find your local AAA media contact and read other AAA news releases by logging on to www.AAA.com/news.