UCI

Transportation

Satisfaction with freeways is no longer showing improvement. In 1998, 25% say the current system is satisfactory, 48% want lanes added, and 27% want new freeways built. This year's numbers represent no change in freeway satisfaction from last year. Between 1988 and 1996, we had seen a slow-but-steady improvement in satisfaction levels, rising from 5% to 26%. There also was a decline in the desire to build new freeways (48% to 22%). Today, the number who say they want to build new freeways is five points higher than in 1996.
Graph: Trends in Freeway Attitudes

There continue to be regional differences in transportation satisfaction. Residents are more satisfied with freeways in South County than in North County (34% vs. 21%). North County residents are more likely than South County residents to want lanes added (52% vs. 39%). The two regions are equally likely to want new freeways built. There are no differences by age, income, or race and ethnicity. Twenty-two percent of employed residents say they experience major traffic problems, 41% encounter some problems and 37% have no problems during their trip to and from work. The number saying they experience great problems has risen three points from last year and six points from the low point of the decade, reached in 1993. Once again, the trend indicates no improvements in traffic perceptions. Workers in North County are more likely than those in South County to say they have a great problem commuting (26% vs. 14%). South County workers are more likely than those in North County to say they have no commuting problems (46% vs. 33%). We also asked employed residents whether the problem of traffic congestion has gotten better, gotten worse or stayed the same in the time they have commuted along their current route to work. Forty-two percent say that traffic congestion has gotten worse, 38% say it has stayed about the same and 20% say it has gotten better. Between 1989 and 1993, the number saying that traffic has gotten worse fell from 60% to 42%. Now it appears that decline in commuters' negative perceptions has stopped.
Graph: Perceptions of Major Commuting Problems

Frustration with traffic is especially acute in North County, where 45% say it is getting worse and only 16% see improvement. In South County, 28% think traffic is getting better and 35% see it as getting worse. Measure M projects remain highly popular. Three in four residents say they are satisfied with the way Measure M funds are being spent, with 22% very satisfied and 53% somewhat satisfied. Seventeen percent are not satisfied and 8% have no opinion. Once again, though, there are no signs of improvement in transportation attitudes.
Graph: Satisfied with Use of Measure M Funds

Overall satisfaction with Measure M is unchanged from 1997, but is up three points since 1996, five points since 1995 and 27 points since 1992. Compared with six years ago, the number who are very satisfied has increased by 12 points (10% to 22%), the number who are somewhat satisfied is up by 15 points (38% to 53%), the number who are not satisfied has declined by nine points (26% to 17%), and the number with no opinion has fallen by 18 points (26% to 8%). There are no differences in satisfaction with Measure M funding by age, region, income, or race and ethnicity.