FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 3rd, 2020
Survey of civic influencers reveals support for Project Connect TRE & a substantial active transportation bond
Austin, Texas - The Wheel Deal publicly released the results of a survey of Austin’s political activists and civic influencers. The survey assessed activist preferences on the main ballot measure options the City Council is contemplating.
“Right now, it’s hard to fully trust traditional polling because of our volatile pandemic, economic, and political situation. To get a fuller sense of the prospects for major transportation investment in November, we sought out the activist base to get a sense of their priorities,” explained Julio Gonzalez Altamirano, one of the Wheel Deal’s co-authors.
“These are the folks that will help explain the benefits of the transportation package to neighbors, co-workers, and friends. Their enthusiasm and confidence is essential in overcoming the volatility of the current political moment,” Gonzalez Altamirano added.
The survey results demonstrate strong support for the City Council’s proposed 8.75-cent Project Connect tax rate election, as well as for a substantial active transportation bond.
“Council is well on its way to putting together a package that will capture the imagination of voters and build the coalition needed to win,” said Urban Transportation Commissioner Susan Somers.
“History tells us this is the right time to make the infrastructure investments that will shape Austin’s next century. The voters are ready for an ambitious package,” argued former Planning Commissioner Jose “Chito” Vela III.
Results
Our survey asked 3 policy questions. We received a total of 108 valid and unique responses (CSV).
Question 1 - Tax Rate
The first survey question was:
City Council is about to decide the size of the Project Connect ballot measure’s property tax increase based on two different plans. The “11 cent” plan includes three new light rail lines, 1 new commuter rail line, and extensive new bus service enhancements. The “8.5 cent” plan includes 2 new light rail lines, 1 new commuter rail line, and about 60% of the bus service enhancements of the “11 cent” plan. The “11 cent” plan is estimated to cost the typical Austin homeowner $30 a month. The “8.5 cent” plan would cost $23 a month. Which plan do you prefer?
The answer choices were:
I prefer the “11 cent” plan ($30/month for typical homeowner).
I prefer the “8.5 cent” plan ($23/month for typical homeowner).
I do not support a November tax rate election for transit.
These were the results for the first question:
Question 2 - Active Transportation
The second survey question was:
The grassroots “Austin Outside” coalition is advocating for a $750 million bond to fund active transportation (sidewalks, pedestrian infrastructure, protected bike lanes, bike routes to schools, trails), as well as roadway safety improvements. This bond would cost roughly $5 per month for the typical homeowner. What is your view on this request?
The answer choices were:
I support Austin Outside’s $750 million ($5/month for typical homeowner) bond request.
I support these additional mobility investments but want a more modest price tag (e.g. $300 million).
I do not support the placement of any of these additional, non-transit investments on this November’s ballot.
These were the results for the second question:
Question 3 - Ballot Measure Design
The third survey question was:
In the event City Council chooses to invest in both (1) transit and (2) active transportation (e.g. bikes, sidewalks, etc.), do you think the voters should be presented with a single ballot question for both categories or separate questions?
The answer choices were:
Transit and active transportation should be presented as a single up-or-down vote.
Transit and active transportation should be two separate up-or-down votes.
I do not have a preference on this matter.
These were the results for the third question:
Respondent City Council District
This is the breakdown of survey respondents by their current City Council district:
Methodology
During the week of July 24th to July 31st, we delivered 517 individual emails to active citizens in the following sub-groups:
All Austin Democratic precinct chairs
Environmental activists and NGO leaders
Transit, bike, and pedestrian activists and NGO leaders
Mobility-focused staff at social justice NGOs
Urban Transportation Commissioners
We took the following steps to ensure the survey’s data quality:
Requested and matched participant initials with email list names
Discarded all anonymous responses
Discarded all responses with closely bunched timestamps
Relied solely on individual emails and did not email group lists or use social media distribution for the survey
CONTACT INFORMATION
Phone: (512) 651-5620
Email: team@wheeldeal.org
Web: www.wheeldeal.org
Twitter: www.twitter.com/wheeldealatx