FAIRFIELD, Conn. – A new poll by Sacred Heart University’s Institute for Public Policy, completed in partnership with the Hartford Courant, reveals that Connecticut residents continue to oppose electronic tolls on the state’s highways (58.8 percent). Sacred Heart’s March poll showed 59 percent of respondents were opposed to tolls.
In addition, 51.3 percent of those who support tolls largely do so with the provision that money collected go into a transportation “lockbox” account to be used only for road and bridge improvements and infrastructure repairs, per a state referendum passed last year.
When given two options for infrastructure repairs, respondents were slightly more in favor of using toll revenue (33.2 percent) than borrowing funds. Among these respondents, 49.3 percent of Democrats preferred instituting tolls to pay for infrastructure improvements compared to only 20.9 percent of Republicans reporting the same.
Opposition against implementing electronic tolls was strongest among residents between the ages of 35 to 44 (63 percent) and residents between the ages of 45 to 64 years old (64.5 percent). Strong opposition to “e-tolling” was also reported among those earning $50,000 to $100,000 (63.2 percent) and those earning $150,000 or more (60 percent).
The Sacred Heart University Institute for Public Policy/Hartford Courant telephone survey of 1,000 Connecticut residents was conducted between May 10 and May 23.
"In terms of public opinion on tolls, the needle has not moved. Opposition to tolls has remained steady over the last few months,” said Lesley DeNardis, executive director of the Institute for Public Policy and director of Sacred Heart University’s Master of Public Administration program. “Postponing a vote until a special legislative session this summer suggests the administration needs additional time to make its case."
GreatBlue conducted the Connecticut-specific scientific telephone survey on behalf of the SHU Institute for Public Policy, interviewing 1,000 residents. Statistically, this sampling represents a margin for error of +/-3.02 percent at a 95 percent confidence level. This is the first poll presented under the new partnership with the Hartford Courant.
Sacred Heart’s Institute for Public Policy, which was established in 2017 in the College of Arts and Sciences, is aligned with the University’s new master of public administration program. In addition to hosting state-wide polls, the institute conducts public policy research, hosts public forums and workshops and serves as a public-policy learning incubator for students.
A PDF file of complete polling results is available at www.sacredheart.edu/pollresults.
# # #
About Sacred Heart University
As the second-largest independent Catholic university in New England, and one of the fastest-growing in the U.S., Sacred Heart University is a national leader in shaping higher education for the 21st century. SHU offers more than 80 undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs on its Fairfield, Conn., campus, which is located about an hour from Manhattan and 2.5 hours from Boston. Sacred Heart also has satellites in Connecticut, Luxembourg and Ireland. More than 8,500 students attend the University’s eight colleges and schools: Arts & Sciences; Communication, Media & the Arts; Computer Science & Engineering; Health Professions; the Isabelle Farrington College of Education; the Jack Welch College of Business; Nursing; and St. Vincent’s College. Sacred Heart is rooted in the rich Catholic intellectual tradition and the liberal arts, yet at the same time develops students to be forward thinkers who enact change—in their own lives and professions and in their communities. A spirit of service, entrepreneurship and social justice is the essence of who we are and can be seen inside and outside the classroom as students learn how to make a difference far beyond Fairfield. The Princeton Review includes SHU in its Best 384 Colleges–2019 Edition, “Best in the Northeast” and Best 267 Business Schools–2018 Edition. It also placed SHU on its lists for “Happiest Students” and “Most Engaged in Community Service,” each of which comprises only 20 U.S. schools. Sacred Heart has a Division I athletics program. www.sacredheart.edu
https://www.sacredheart.edu/aboutshu/facultyexperts/
About GreatBlue Research, Inc.
GreatBlue provides reliable, actionable research and analytics to help organizations identify, address and improve their understanding of key constituents. With more than 40 years of experience in market research for diverse markets, GreatBlue effectively harnesses this knowledge to correlate general attitudes and perceptions with behavioral trends to provide our clients with a roadmap for success. GreatBlue Research is located in Glastonbury, Conn. Visit them online at www.greatblueresearch.com, or call 860/740-4000.