Jan 2021) Clear Majority of New York City Voters Support Removing Car Parking to Build Streets for People — Transportation Alternatives
Results are a wake-up call to 2021 candidates: Reimagining streets isn’t just good policy, it’s good politics too.
January 26, 2021
Taken together, streets are the largest public space in New York City, adding up to an acreage nearly twice the size of the Bronx. More than three-quarters of that streetscape is dedicated to moving and storing vehicles. But for all the space given over to cars, only a minority of New Yorkers own one, and less than one in three trips citywide involve a car. This inequity is stark. The status quo must end.
A new poll, commissioned by Transportation Alternatives and conducted by the Siena College Research Institute, details New York City voters’ wide support for addressing that inequity and converting street space for more safe, equitable, and vibrant neighborhood use. The survey reveals that a majority of voters from households that own cars broadly support many of these street improvements too. With the 2021 elections approach, it’s clear that candidates running with a strong vision to reimagine New York City’s streetscape will have public opinion on their side.
