“The data is clear - residents support funding for public transportation projects like the Gateway Tunnel,” Julie Tighe, President of the New York League of Conservation Voters, said of the survey. “We cannot make our way out of this recession if we don’t address our transit crisis. More reliable mass transit will encourage more people to leave their cars at home, helping to slash emissions. That’s why we need to Build Gateway Now.”
Current travel patterns have flipped for most area residents since the start of the pandemic, with only 22% of respondents currently traveling regularly into Manhattan compared with two-thirds of respondents pre-pandemic.
“I am not at all surprised by the overwhelming support for the Gateway Project,” said Michael G. McGuinness, Chief Executive Officer for NAIOP New Jersey. “It’s not just commuters…the pandemic has made all of us even more reliant on ecommerce, and the efficient movement of goods and people is how we get what we need. The public understands the value of investing in the most critical infrastructure project in the nation. The benefits of the Hudson River Tunnel Project cannot be overstated.”
The online survey was conducted of 417 New York/Northern New Jersey/Long Island, NY/NJ/CT/PA Metro Area residents between Thursday, Aug. 20, and Friday, Aug. 21. The sample was representative of a wide demographic of respondents, including 52% men and 48% women, all over the age of 18 from a broad range of household incomes. The full survey and a demographic breakdown can be seen here.
