STAR member Steven Bourasa has spent time tracking down the information on polling that was done by a private company on behalf of Sacramento Transit Authority to judge support for the Measure B transportation sales tax. Some of his analysis is below. What seems surprising is that while polling indicated very high support for fixing existing roads, filling the potholes, and relatively low support for roadway expansions, the project list developed by the transportation agencies of the cities and county was heavy on new roads and made only a weak commitment to fix-it-first.

The report by EMC is available: Survey of Sacramento County Likely November 2016 Voters. We recommend reading it.

Whenever the next transportation tax comes to ballot, it is clear that the citizens want transit to be at the core of transportation solutions, and a shift towards transit will be even stronger as time goes on. Remember that public perception of SacRT was at an ebb during the election, but has improved a great deal since then.

For Sacramento Regional Transit (RT) to reach their goal of 1/2 cent sales tax revenue, they would need 1/3 cent from any new sales tax measures (son of measure B). They currently receive 1/6 cent from measure A. This means, the percentage for transit-vs-roads would have to be reversed from the original mix in measure B, with transit receiving 66% and roads getting 33% in a new tax measure.

I think it might even be prudent to ask for a 1/4 cent transit only measure; countywide. With the passage of SB1, voters may not want to pass another road tax, but may be inclined to support transit.

I support these plans based on the polling data from the STA and measure B. This polling data shows support for (pages 24-25):

• 81% Support Light Rail and bus maintenance and security
• 80% Support Light Rail and bus operations
• 75% Extend Light Rail toward the Airport and Elk Grove
• 69% Replace aging buses
• 66% Replace aging Light Rail cars

The only transit item to score low was the Streetcar!

• 50% Create new local streetcar service in downtown Sacramento

This poll shows strong countywide support for transit initiatives. Granted, a new poll would seem necessary to track current trends.

• Measure B 2016