Poll: New Yorkers Want Safer Pedestrian Conditions … And They Vote
Let’s ride.
Most New Yorkers want safer places to walk and bike — and they support expanding the infrastructure that could make that possible, according to a new poll from Parks & Trails New York.
The statewide survey found that 80 percent of likely voters said having safe places to walk and bike is important to their overall well-being. At the same time, nearly half of New Yorkers (47 percent) want to walk or bike for recreation or everyday trips, but find it unsafe because of the condition of the roads.
So it’s no surprise that 73 percent of New Yorkers support expanding the network of connected multi-use greenways, and 59 percent support shifting some transportation funding toward walking, biking, trails and public transit. Support for that funding shift rose to 80 percent among Democrats.
“The real barrier isn’t demand, it’s infrastructure. New Yorkers are telling us they want safer ways to walk, bike, and connect to the outdoors,” Paul Steely White, executive director of Parks & Trails New York, said of the poll, which was conducted by Embold Research. “The projects are identified, the public is ready and the economic case is proven. Now it’s time to build the next generation of connected greenways.”
The findings point to a disconnect between how New Yorkers want to get around and the streets they currently have to navigate. More than half of respondents, 54 percent, said roads in their communities prioritize moving traffic over safety for people walking and biking. The remaining 46 percent said their roads balance the needs of drivers, pedestrians and cyclists. (The poll has a 2.7-percent margin of error.)
Safety was also the leading benefit voters identified when asked what they would want from an expanded network of connected multi-use trails. Forty percent selected “a safe place to walk, run, or bike near my home” as one of the most important potential benefits, followed by supporting physical health and fitness (34 percent) and providing safe, car-free routes for children and families (26 percent).
Support for expanding greenways crosses party lines, though there are certainly gaps in support depending on one’s political affiliation. Only 53 percent of Republicans support expanding the state’s network of connected multi-use greenways, while 89 percent of Democrats do.
That support was also consistent across the state. At least two-thirds of voters in every region supported expansion, including 78 percent in New York City, 76 percent in the Hudson Valley, 74 percent in Upstate East, 70 percent on Long Island and 68 percent in Upstate West.
“We already know that parks and greenways mean so much to New Yorkers — not just as places to connect with nature, but deeply woven into the fabric of their lives, families and communities,” said Erik Kulleseid, president and CEO of the Open Space Institute.
The poll found a sharper partisan divide over shifting transportation funding. Eighty percent of Democrats supported directing some transportation dollars toward walking, biking, trails and public transit, compared with 54 percent of independents and 30 percent of Republicans.
But the basic case for safer walking and biking infrastructure appears to have broader appeal. Seventy-four percent of Republican voters said safe places to walk and bike were important to them, as did 80 percent of voters overall.
The survey also suggests that demand for greenways extends beyond recreation. Nearly one-third of respondents described parks, greenways and green spaces as essential to daily life and community well-being, “like roads, schools, and other infrastructure.” Another 36 percent called them valuable and important, though not on the same level as core public services.
The report also highlights the need to connect greenways to the streets where people actually begin and end their trips. Multi-use trails can provide safe, car-free routes, but people still need to cross and travel along ordinary roads to reach them.
That connection is reflected in another finding. Among respondents who said safer roads would make them more likely to walk or bike, 66 percent said they would do so every day or several times a week. The question was asked only of the subset of voters who were presented with it.
The poll’s findings give advocates for pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure a broad base of support to point to: New Yorkers across party lines want safe places to walk and bike, a majority back expanding connected greenways, and nearly half have already avoided walking or biking because they did not feel safe on the roads.
The challenge now is turning that support into infrastructure — from protected bike lanes and safer crossings to the greenways that connect communities across the state.
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