Pulse Of Toronto: Part IV
Fourteen percent of Torontonians say they take the TTC every day - down 14 points from the 28% who said they took it every day in 1999. In fact three in ten (29%) say they never take the TTC, a sharp 13 point increase from 1999.
So how can the TTC increase the number of red-rocket riders? The largest percentage of Torontonians (63%) say they would take the TTC more often if "the subway and surface routes were expanded", while slightly less (53%) say they would take it more often if "the fare was less expensive" and 46% say they would take the TTC more often if "the price of gas at the pump continues to rise".
When asked to consider a number of potential measures to improve the transportation system in Toronto, the highest level of support is offered for the potential measure of introducing a "dedicated municipal tax of $5 per year that would be for the improvement of public transit" (60%), followed by "introduce a congestion-charge for cars entering the downtown area" (48%), and lastly "introduce tolls to fix major roadways" (31%).
As for the question about the future of the Gardiner Expressway, three-quarters of Torontonians (75%) are of the opinion that tearing down the Gardiner Expressway would be a bad idea, while 25% believe it would be a good idea.
When thinking about the rising costs of fuel, Torontonians are split on what concerns them most - the rising costs of heating their home (49%) or the rising costs at the gas pump (44%). With energy costs in mind, three-quarters (74%) say they support the building of new nuclear power plants in order to provide more electricity for the province.
These are the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted for the National Post, Global News and CFRB fielded from October 6th to October 12th 2005. For the survey, a representative sample of 500 residents of the City of Toronto was interviewed via an on-line survey vehicle. The sample used in this study has been weighted according to 2001 Census data to accurately reflect the general population of the City of Toronto (see chart below). With a sample of this size, the aggregate results are considered accurate to within 1774.4 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire population of Toronto been polled. The margin of error will be larger within each sub-grouping of the survey population Please open the attached PDF to view the factum and detailed tables.
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For more information on this news release, please contact:
John Wright
Senior Vice-President
Ipsos-Reid Public Affairs
(416) 324-2900
