APTA poll: Most respondents want bipartisan infrastructure legislation

A majority of people surveyed last month agreed that Democratic leadership and President Donald Trump should work together this year to pass broad infrastructure legislation, according to the American Public Transportation Association (APTA).

In a poll conducted Jan. 23-24 by Rasmussen Reports for APTA and the American Road & Transportation Builders Association, 88 percent of Republican and Democratic likely voters and 84 percent of those not aligned with either party who responded to the survey indicated support for a bipartisan infrastructure bill.

"Americans want to see a bipartisan bill with strong investments in public transit and other crucial infrastructure because they know it will have wide-ranging benefits for workers, businesses, the economy and their quality of life," said APTA President and Chief Executive Officer Paul Skoutelas in a press release.

The results also showed that 96 percent of those surveyed agreed improving infrastructure such as roads, bridges, public transit, water systems and the power grid is either "very important" or "somewhat important" to both future U.S. economic growth and quality of life.

Respondents to the same survey also were asked about their support for using federal funds to build a border wall or physical barrier along parts of the U.S. southern border with Mexico. Seventy-seven percent of Republicans indicated they would support federal funds being spent a border wall, while 80 percent of Democrats indicated they would not support such a measure.

Meanwhile, in his State of the Union address yesterday, President Donald Trump called for significant investment in the nation's infrastructure, but offered no details.