What Do Americans Think About Federal Tax Options to Support Transportation? Results from Year Seventeen of a National Survey

This project helps federal and state governments identify the stable long-term funding sources that are essential to maintaining and improving the transportation system. The survey includes specific questions that provide insight into both how to make the revenue collection system equitable and one that supports climate goals.

This project will be of use to transportation professionals, legislators, and members of the public working to identify sustainable sources of transportation revenue. Over the past decades, the transportation revenues available from traditional sources such as state and federal gas taxes have fallen significantly in real terms, and especially in real dollars per mile traveled. At the same time, the US transportation system requires critical—and expensive—system upgrades. This dilemma of growing needs and shrinking revenues can be resolved in only two ways: either the nation dramatically lowers its goals for system preservation and enhancement, or new revenues must be raised. If the latter is to happen, legislators must be convinced that doing so is politically feasible.

Surveys such as this one play an important role in helping transportation professionals, legislators, and interested members of the public to understand public opinion. This national survey provides a unique data source because it is longitudinal, showing policymakers how public opinion may be changing over time. No other large-sample-size, national survey about public opinion on transportation funding sources has been conducted repeatedly over time with the same questions.