May 08--More than two-thirds of Los Angeles County residents support raising the countywide sales tax by half a cent to bring in about $120 billion for rail and highway projects, according to a new poll paid for by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
The poll asked respondents whether they would approve a proposed ballot measure that would go before voters in 2016. The measure would seek to raise the overall sales tax rate to 9.5%, and it would extend Measure R, a half-cent tax approved by voters in 2008, beyond its current 2039 expiration date.
The so-called augment and extend taxation structure would have the potential to reshape transportation in Los Angeles County.
It could pay for several immense public works projects, according to the poll questions, including a tunnel through the Sepulveda Pass, a rail link between Los Angeles International Airport and the Valley, and an extension of the Purple Line subway from Westwood to Santa Monica.
Metro says the survey results are a positive sign for local transportation officials, who have said they would only pursue another tax hike if voter support was initially strong.
Responses to the poll suggest strong support for freeway, highway and roads projects, including repairing potholes and improving bottlenecks on local freeways.
To pass, the measure would need the approval of at least 67% of the voters who cast ballots. In 2012, Metro's attempt to extend Measure R's end date by 30 years failed by less than 1%. But officials are optimistic that progress on several Measure R-funded projects, including the Crenshaw Line and the Downtown Regional Connector, may make the difference four years later.
At the end of March, a firm paid by Metro surveyed 1,414 county residents. They spoke with about 200 people from each of the county's seven areas: the Westside, the South Bay, central Los Angeles, the San Gabriel Valley, the San Fernando Valley, the Southeast cities and the northern reaches of the county. The margin of error was plus or minus 2.6 percentage points, officials said.
Before hearing any details about the possible 2016 ballot measure, 70% of those surveyed said they would definitely, probably or maybe vote yes. After hearing some information, that dropped to 63%, and after receiving all the information, it rose to 79%.
About 32% of respondents said that local street and road improvements were their top priority, 30% said highway and freeway improvements, and 25% said light-rail and bus projects, according to the data.
More than four-fifths of respondents also said that retrofitting bridges, tunnels and overpasses was very important -- the highest response for any possible use of the money. About 79% said that keeping transit fares low for seniors, students and the disabled was very important. And 64% said that connecting public transit to LAX and airports in Burbank, Long Beach and Palmdale was very important.
