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Newshound (Newshound)
| | Posted on Thursday, September 02, 2004 - 7:34 am: | |
Sept. 2-Poll says CenterLine liked,Daily Pilot
Survey released Aug. 28 shows increased support for light-rail project compared to September 2003 poll.
Deirdre Newman
Daily Pilot
September 2, 2004
COSTA MESA — A recently released survey shows that 69% of county residents say they would probably or definitely vote in favor of the proposed CenterLine light rail system, which will run through the city.
The survey, released Aug. 28, was sponsored by the Orange County Business Council, which is neutral on CenterLine, and Cal State Fullerton Center for Public Policy. It shows increased public support for a light-rail project compared to a survey by the two entities in September 2003. Last year, 51% of respondents said they would "probably" or "definitely" vote in favor of building a light rail in Orange County.
CenterLine is a planned 9.3-mile route from Santa Ana to John Wayne Airport through Costa Mesa. The City Council voted in 2001 to support the project. But Orange County Transportation Authority officials, who developed the project, are having trouble securing federal funding needed to build it. They are looking to the federal government to provide half of the approximately $1-billion cost of the project. The other half would come from Measure M — the half-cent sales tax to fund transportation improvements in Orange County passed by voters in 1990.
Although the City Council supports CenterLine, some residents don't. And some of those residents found fault with the survey.
"I think [the percentage] is accurate, and I think it's accurate because I don't think [the respondents] have enough information on it," resident Mike Berry said. "I don't think people know what it will cost and the impact it will have on the area, and I think if they were to get a little more information, they might not be in favor of it."
The survey showed that respondents were no more familiar with the specific CenterLine project than when similar survey questions were asked last September. Both times, 49% of respondents said they were "not familiar" with CenterLine.
The survey asked two questions — one about respondents' familiarity with CenterLine and one asking people how they felt about after a brief summary of the project was explained to them. The question asked was, "If a vote were held today, would you definitely vote against CenterLine, probably vote against, probably vote in favor, or definitely vote in favor of CenterLine light rail?
There will be no public vote on CenterLine because the transportation authority board of directors voted twice against recommending to county supervisors that it go to the ballot. This survey mirrors others that have been conducted by independent polling organizations that show strong residential support for CenterLine, said Ted Nguyen, spokesman for the Orange County Transportation Authority. Costa Mesa City Councilwoman Libby Cowan said the critics represent a minority.
"I think that Orange County residents have long supported the CenterLine, because we voted that part of the Measure M monies would go to light rail, so it's been going on for a long time," Cowan said. "I think that most of us in the community see the long-term benefits of creating some kind of mass-transit program."
Authority board chairman Greg Winterbottom hopes the majority of the county's congressional delegation — which has been resistant to pushing for federal funding of the light-rail project — takes notice.
"I don't know how we can get our constituents to speak more to our elected [officials]," Winterbottom said. "I hope it's read widely."
Rep. Chris Cox could not be reached for comment.
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