Americans favor shifting trips to public transportation to address climate change, rail group says

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According to a new poll, Americans continue to support railroads and public transit to help with climate change.

In a poll conducted by Engine Insights on behalf of OneRail Coalition, 75 percent of Americans said commuter trips and long-range trips should be shifted to passenger rail and public transit to address climate change.

The poll also found that 81 percent of Americans felt Congress should provide more funding to address railroad safety, and nearly half thought we should be spending more on public transit and passenger rail.

“Given the steps taken to keep customers safe and the clear benefits to the environment, passenger rail is a preferred mode of travel today and in a post-pandemic world,” said Roger Harris, Amtrak EVP and Chief Marketing and Revenue Officer.

In a separate poll by the Association of American Railroads, 78 percent of respondents felt that freight railroads are an important part of addressing climate change, and 58 percent were in favor of moving freight by rail to meet projected growth in freight shipments over the next two decades.

“The results from this survey show strong support among Americans for passenger rail and public transit, even in light of the current pandemic, and that people want to return to travel by train and public transit,” said OneRail Director Anne Canby. “These results, alongside findings from the AAR survey, demonstrate the need for federal policies and programs that promote the shift to rail for both freight and passengers.”

Polls were conducted at the end of August and sampled more than 1,000 adults 18-years-old or older.