Massachusetts ‘stuck in neutral’ on addressing transportation woes: Poll

Massachusetts is “stuck in neutral” when it comes to addressing transportation issues plaguing the state, residents said in a MassINC poll released Friday.

Bay Staters handed Gov. Maura Healey and the Legislature mediocre scores for their handling of transportation problems, a MassINC Polling Group survey of 1,390 residents found. From traffic to road safety and continual issues at the MBTA to regional transit, grades for state officials were “middling,” the polling group said.

Negative stories about the MBTA — from track problems on the Green Line to the billions it will take to repair the system — have influenced residents’ views of Healey, even though many of the transit agency’s issues predate her administration.

“The state of the T and other public transit systems is the top transportation issue cited by residents, followed by traffic congestion and road conditions. Priorities do vary by region, with public transit dominant in Greater Boston and traffic and road conditions top of mind farther from Boston,” the MassINC Polling Group said in a statement accompanying the survey.

Less than one third of respondents gave Healey or the Legislature an “A” or “B” grade on public transportation, according to the poll. Only 6% of respondents gave Healey an “A” on the MBTA, compared to 24% who handed her a “B” and 28% a “C,” the poll said.

Thirty-one percent of those surveyed said the state Legislature earned a “C” on public transportation while 20% handed the body a “B” and another 20% gave them an “F,” the poll said.

More than half of the respondents inside Route 128 said fixing public transportation was their top priority, according to the poll.

“A quarter (23%) in Western Massachusetts want to see expanded public transit, including East-West Rail and expanded bus service,” the polling group said.

Few respondents said they felt “very safe” driving on state highways, taking public transit, or riding a bike, the MassINC Polling Group said.

“Infrastructure issues have received much attention and are driving some concern, but the most commonly cited reasons for feeling unsafe have to do with the behavior of other travelers,” the group said in a statement.

More than half of those surveyed said traffic in their part of the state is worse than it was before the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Another 37% think it’s about the same – not great given that traffic was reaching a breaking point back in 2019. Just 7% think traffic has improved since COVID. Residents within Route 495 are most likely to think traffic has gotten worse,” MassINC said in a statement. “Traffic is getting worse despite a third of workers reporting they are working from home every day (14%) or a few times a week (20%).”

The poll also found housing costs are rising on residents’ priority list, and a majority support a proposal to let cities and towns impose a transfer fee on the portion of real estate sales over $1 million, according to the MassINC Polling Group. The proceeds would be used to fund affordable housing.

The group said, “The proposal is particularly popular among Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, 75% of whom support the idea.”