Public Opinion Research (6)

Description:

Public opinion research uses focus groups, interviews, and surveys to better understand public opinion. Baseline research conducted early in a program can be informative for and increase the effectiveness of public education efforts, as well as policy discussions of RUC. Additional public opinion research can be conducted later, in conjunction with public education efforts.

Details:

Public opinion research can be used to gauge general awareness and understanding of transportation funding and gaps in understanding. This is important because introducing the RUC concept to the public must begin with a dialogue about the issues with the current transportation funding model. Public opinion research should include both noncommercial and commercial road users, perhaps in separate sessions, to understand the unique needs of each group. Focus groups and interviews are effective ways of determining the public’s initial responses to RUC, which can vary significantly from locale to locale. Wider sampling of the population’s opinions may be collected by random, representative surveys. To obtain useful results, participants in focus groups, interviews, and surveys should receive concise, accurate, and neutral background explanations of transportation funding and RUC. These explanations should explain why RUC is needed, what it could look like, whether it will replace the fuel tax, and what individual impacts would be.

Primary Use:

Inform public education efforts, policy discussions of RUC, and pilot, if one is conducted.

Best Practices/Lessons Learned:

  • No one gets excited by the prospect of paying a new tax, and most drivers have little awareness of the gas tax they pay. If the idea of RUC is introduced without providing sufficient background context, the public generally responds negatively.
  • When presenting background information, bias can easily and unintentionally be introduced. This research is valuable only when unbiased, so take great care in presenting the background, as well as framing the questions and discussion.
  • Questions to answer include: What are the public’s main concerns? What are the public’s initial thoughts? What transportation funding messaging resonates with the public? What transportation funding messaging does not resonate with the public? How would alternative funding mechanisms, including RUC, work best for commercial carriers?
  • To guide the process and ensure an objective approach, use a range of experts during the development of this building block. This should include the review of background information, focus groups, interviews, and surveys.

State Government Context and Assumptions:

Public opinion research must be conducted by an experienced public opinion research group. It is advisable to present the results of the public opinion research to the task force, if one exists.