Poll Nixes Tolls, Gas Tax Hike

A survey of Texas drivers found that most believe traffic congestion is a problem but don’t want to pay tolls or higher gasoline taxes to build more roads.

The Texas Lyceum, a nonpartisan public policy group, polled some 1,000 residents in early June.

Daron Shaw, one of the pollsters, said the high price of gasoline, increased congestion, and rising costs for highway projects are changing how people feel about transportation in Texas.

“They want less congestion on the roads, and hope their governments will put more money into public transportation,” he said. “But they don’t like gas taxes and toll roads.”

The poll found that 60% oppose an increase in the state’s 20-cents-per-gallon gasoline tax while 66% oppose new toll roads and 69% are against tolls on existing roads. More than half of those responding don’t think the state should use eminent domain to obtain rights of way for new highways.

Jim Henson, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin and director of UT’s Texas Politics Project, said the poll results should make Texas politicians wary of using the gasoline tax to generate revenue or encourage conservation.

“When it comes to paying four bucks for a gallon of gas, Texans appear more likely to consider buying a hybrid, carpooling, or taking public transportation than they are likely to approve of increasing gas taxes at the pump,” Henson said.

“This seems to make the resurrection of any legislative proposals to increase the gas tax —  already pretty unlikely — dead on arrival in the next Legislature.”

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