State survey finds likely voters oppose delaying road projects

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A recent survey suggests Milwaukee-area residents do not want to see further delays for large highway projects, while Wisconsin residents are largely against plans that would have the state pay for road projects by issuing more debt.

The survey, conducted by the firm Public Opinion Strategies between May 30 and June 1, asked 600 likely voters in Wisconsin a number of questions related to Wisconsin’s transportation system. The results were handed over to the Transportation Development Association of Wisconsin earlier this week.

Of the poll respondents in the Milwaukee metropolitan area, 67 percent said they are opposed to delays in reconstruction projects in the southeast corner of the state. Specifically, about 62 percent said work on the Zoo Interchange reconstruction should not be further postponed, while 31 percent said they weren’t opposed to that possibility.

Of the respondents surveyed throughout Wisconsin, only 5 percent said the state should borrow more to pay for road construction. Similarly, only 7 percent thought the state should cut back on its highway-maintenance and construction work.

The respondents showed the most support for two funding options: Raising taxes such as the state’s 30.9-cent-a-gallon gas tax and taking money from other parts of the state’s budget. According to the results, 41 percent of the respondents support raising taxes or fees, while 40 percent say they favor taking money from elsewhere.

The poll also found,

• 99 percent of the respondents believe the state’s roads, bridges and public transportation are important to economic development;
• 47 percent believe the state’s roads have gotten worse;
• 44 percent approve of Walker’s handling of transportation matters, while 47 percent disapprove;
• 67 percent support a “local option” that would allow local governments to raise local sales taxes by half a percent for a fixed period of time, as long as any such proposal is first approved by a referendum; and
• 60 percent support the state’s prevailing-wage laws