An overwhelming majority of residents of the New York-New Jersey-Connecticut metropolitan region would like to see more investment in public transportation as well as greater investment in related infrastructure like housing near train stations, protected bike lanes, and electric vehicle charging stations according to new public opinion polling from RPA and Global Strategy Group (GSG).

More than eight in 10 NY metro region residents support investing more in public transportation.

The results come on the heels of President Joe Biden’s proposal of the American Jobs Plan, a sweeping infrastructure package which prioritizes public transportation.

Three out of four residents feel that public transportation is convenient - a testament to our region’s mass transit system, the largest in the nation. Residents, however, are using transit far less frequently during the pandemic. Our poll found health concerns are the most common reason residents are staying off transit, followed by the desire to drive, the ability to work remotely, and concerns about crime.

The poll results are part of RPA’s Metro Area Issues Survey, which features the debut of the RPA-GSG Metro NY Outlook Index - a score that averages attitudes among participants across eight core aspects of life to present one holistic metric for how residents are feeling one year after the pandemic first struck the region.

Standing at 57 out of 100, the Outlook Index suggests residents are optimistic about the future of our region. This optimism, however, is not shared equally. Just as people of color bore the brunt of the COVID-19 crisis, the poll results found they expressed the lowest levels of satisfaction with quality of life, along with women and low-income residents.

RPA and GSG will continue to highlight survey results across specific issue areas including housing and economic development.Learn more and view the full survey data here.