Survey Finds Some Support For Easing Traffic Woes

From toll roads to special lanes, the survey shows that Triangle drivers are willing to pay to stay up to speed.

Seven out of 10 people in the Triangle say traffic is much worse than it was five years ago, despite road widening and new construction, such as the Outer Loop.

The same number said even if public transportation services were expanded, they'd still drive.

So what's the solution?

More than half of those surveyed support toll roads that can be built sooner. Those roads would be paid for by the people who use them.

High occupancy or Express lanes also received good marks. Those roads are pay-per-use access roads that get more expensive the heavier the traffic is and 60 percent of those surveyed support the idea.

Finally, regional rail received good and bad marks. About 72 percent of respondents supported the rail line connecting Raleigh and Durham.

However, 53 percent said they would likely not use the rail.

When it comes to paying for new road projects, it gets a little tricky. About 47 percent said they would not support raising county taxes or fees if the money was earmarked for road projects.

But despite current high gas prices, 5 percent of those in the Triangle would pay an extra 2 cents a gallon to fund road projects.

NC Go! is a coalition of more than 100 members representing more than 22,000 businesses and organizations and 1 million individuals in North Carolina who are trying to ease traffic congestion across the state. The group surveyed 997people across the state.