A WGBH News poll released today shows that only one out of three Massachusetts residents feel drivers and bicyclists on the region’s roads interact safely. Nearly half (45 percent) of those polled responded that adding bike lanes and providing riders with a right of way is the most effective measure to prevent bike accidents, compared with only 32 percent who support efforts to improve enforcement of existing laws (22 percent) or pass stricter laws (10 percent).
WGBH News commissioned the survey in advance of a wide-ranging, week-long, multi-platform series focused on the interaction between drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians. The ‘Right of Way’ focus series kicks off on Monday with a number of reports during 89.7 WGBH’s Morning Edition and special coverage on WGBH-TV’s Greater Boston.
“Greater Boston is well-known for its highly-educated population, passionate sports fans and frustrating traffic. As more commuters and hobbyists are leaving cars in the garage, drivers, bikers and pedestrians are forced to share more of our local roads. Public opinion is clearly divided over who has the right of way and whether our roads truly are safe for cars and bikes,” said Linda Polach, executive producer of WGBH’s Greater Boston news program. “Next week, WGBH News and Wicked Local will explore all sides of the debate, examine the alleged causes of friction between drivers and bikers and discuss the proposed policies aimed to prevent accidents.”
The WGBH News poll found public opinion is evenly split over who is most responsible for accidents involving cars and bicycles. One out of five (21 percent) blame drivers and one out of five (21 percent) blame bicyclists. More than half blame both.
The poll showed a partisan divide over who is most responsible for accidents and the most effective measures to prevent accidents on shared roadways. More than half (51 percent) of Democrats support additional bike lanes and a plurality of Republicans (42 percent) support improved enforcement of existing traffic laws. Fewer than three out of 10 Republicans endorse additional bike lanes as the best option, and only one out of five (22 percent) Democrats believe additional enforcement is the best path to prevent accidents.
Among Democrats, 26 percent believe drivers are most responsible for accidents and 18 percent cite riders. Fifty-four percent of Democrats say both drivers and riders are equally responsible. Among Republicans, only 9 percent say drivers are most responsible for accidents, 21 percent say riders are most responsible for accidents. Nearly 7 out of ten Republicans say both are equally responsible.
The ‘Right of Way’ focus series, a partnership with Wicked Local papers, will include daily stories and reports on 89.7 WGBH, discussions and debates on Boston Public Radio and in-depth segments on WGBH-TV’s Greater Boston. Additional digital coverage also is available on WGBHnews.org. The series launches on Monday, May 5 with analysis on WGBH’s Morning Edition of the WGBH News poll from Steve Koczela, President of MassINC Polling Group, which conducted the survey for WGBH News. The poll surveyed 501 residents from across Massachusetts between April 23 to April 27 and has a margin of error of +/- 4.4 percent.
Full Poll Results:
Right of Way Topline Poll Results by wgbhnews
