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

This report summarizes the results from the tenth year of a national public opinion survey asking U.S. adults questions related to their views on federal transportation taxes. A nationally representative sample of 2,723 respondents completed the online survey.

The questions test public opinions about both raising the federal gas tax rate and replacing the federal gas tax with a new mileage fee. In addition to asking directly about support for these tax options, the survey collected data on respondents’ views on the quality of their local transportation system, their priorities for federal transportation spending, their knowledge of how much they pay in federal gas taxes, their views on privacy and equity matters related to mileage fees, travel behavior, and standard sociodemographic variables. This large set of variables is used to identify personal characteristics and opinions correlated with support for the tax options.

Key findings include: large majorities would support raising the federal gas tax rate under certain conditions; people hold nuanced views about the pros and cons of mileage fees; and linking a transportation tax to environmental goals raises support.