Bay Area Residents Say Housing, Traffic Problems Reaching 'Crisis' Level In New Poll
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- Most Bay Area residents belive the region's high cost of housing and increasing congestion on local roadways are reaching "crisis" levels, according to a new poll released Wednesday.
The poll of 1,000 residents in the 2014 Bay Area Council Poll found 79 percent of those surveyed said the area is in the midst of a housing cost crisis, as the price of housing reaches pre-recession levels in many areas.
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Concern about housing costs was high among residents of all income levels. Among those with incomes less than $75,000 a year, 83 percent said the Bay Area was in a housing crisis. Meanwhile 79 percent who earned between $75,000 and $125,000 a year, and 76 percent of respondents with an income above $125,000 a year agreed with that statement.
As Bay Area residents agreed something needs to be done about the price of housing, the people surveyed were not as enthusiastic about building more housing.
While 64 percent of those surveyed said new housing should be built in existing cities, 55 percent of respondents supported new housing in their neighborhood and only 47 percent support new developments when they know in advance that population density would increase.
As for transportation, the survey found that 71 percent of respondents agreed that traffic in the region has also reached a crisis point.
Among those surveyed, more than 80 percent said traffic is either the same or worse than it was a year ago.
Most of the respondents, 68 percent, said they drive alone and never use transit. About 22 percent said they use transit 2-3 times per week.
When it comes to traffic solutions, most respondents want improvements to both public transportation and the Bay Area's streets and highways.
The Bay Area Council's poll was conducted by EMC Research of Oakland.
