Bike lanes and subways are popular, paying for it not so much: poll

Bike lanes and subways are popular, paying for it not so much: poll

On Saturday, the Toronto Star released the results of a poll on transit, and the results are striking. For all the hate flung at bike lanes in the mayoral race, they are actually pretty popular: 58 per cent of respondents say they either strongly or moderately support them, yet six of the leading eight mayoral candidates oppose them or think that we need a moratorium on them. But if this is a popularity contest—and what isn’t these days?—then subways are the prom queens of transit, with 94 per cent of respondents saying they support them. (Who are the other six per cent?) What really amazes, though, is the polling on road tolls:

While only 31 per cent of residents surveyed support tolls, support grows to 40 per cent among voters within the city proper, a finding pollster Jodi Shanoff says should give candidates in the October municipal election pause.

“Depending on where you are a candidate, you will have a different strategy,” said Shanoff, Angus Reid senior vice-president. “Certainly, 416 voters are open for a discussion about it. It doesn’t need to come off the table.”

Four in 10 people in this city are for road tolls? And that number grows if toll money goes to improving the TTC and GO Transit? That’s barely believable, given the way shouting has dominated the mayoral race so far. Apparently the voters of Toronto heard about the war on the car and thought, “Please, sir, could we have some more?”

• Residents oppose road tolls, poll finds [Toronto Star]