According to a new survey of the San Joaquin Valley conducted by the Institute for Leadership and Public Policy at Fresno State, 58 percent of respondents support the construction of the high-speed rail project.
There are clear differences across party lines. A significant majority of Democrats (74 percent) support construction of high-speed rail, along with a majority of Independents or those who express no party preference (59 percent). However, a majority of Republicans (58 percent) do not support construction of the high-speed rail project in the Valley. Significant differences can also be found among Trump supporters and non-Trump supporters. Among non-Trump supporters, 68 percent are in favor of building high-speed rail, while 62 percent of Trump supporters oppose continuing construction on the project.
Across racial and ethnic groups, non-white groups are the most supportive of the high-speed rail project. Seventy-six percent of Latinos and sixty percent of non-white, non-Latinos, which includes blacks and Asians, support construction of the project. In contrast, 64 percent of whites oppose construction of the high-speed train through the Valley.
When asked about how they would use the high-speed rail if it was completed, 66 percent of respondents in the San Joaquin Valley said they would use it for business, pleasure or both. Thirty-five percent indicated that they would use the train mostly for pleasure, while 28 percent said that they would use the high-speed train for both business and pleasure. Surprisingly, only 3 percent responded that they would use the train mostly for business. In contrast, 30 percent of adults said that they would not use the high-speed rail at all if it was completed.
The findings in the report are based on a random sample of adults from the San Joaquin Valley. The full report of the findings on this topic can be found here.
For more information, contact Dr. Jeff Cummins at 559.278.6693, co-director of the Institute for Leadership and Public Policy; or co-director Dr. Annabella España-Nájera (Spanish-language media) at 559.278.3020; or Dr. Lisa Bryant, survey director, at 559.278.7612 or 559.512.0124.
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