According to a new Monmouth University poll, nearly all New Jersey residents believe that having money for transportation is important, and over 70% are concerned about the impending bankruptcy of the state’s Transportation Trust Fund, the primary source of funding for state transportation projects. But only half of state residents have heard anything about it. As residents learn more about the crisis, they become more concerned, and of those residents who have heard at least a little about the Trust Fund’s problems, more than half support raising transportation fees like tolls or the gas tax if they are dedicated to transportation. Overall, half of state residents support increasing transportation fees. The poll was commissioned by TSTC and NJ Future.

The Trust Fund is supported by New Jersey’s petroleum gross receipts tax and gasoline tax (at 10.5 cents/gallon, the fourth-lowest in the country). But the state has taken on so much debt that by next year all of the Trust Fund’s revenue from these taxes will be paying debt service. Only 1 in 4 New Jerseyans have heard more than a little about this fact:

But state residents are worried about the consequences:

As residents learn more, they become more concerned. While 41% of state residents say they have “a great deal” of concern over the Trust Fund’s problems, this increases to 67% among those who have read or heard “a great deal” about the issue.

And a majority of New Jerseyans who have heard at least a little about the Trust Fund’s problems support “raising transportation user fees — such as tolls, vehicle registration fees, or the gas tax” if they know the money will go towards road, bridge, and transit projects:

Overall, 49% of state residents support increasing transportation fees, while 47% are opposed and 3% do not know.

On one point, nearly all New Jerseyans agree: Funding transportation is a state priority:

The poll’s margin of error is 3.5 percentage points.

In a release, TSTC, NJ Future, Regional Plan Association, and NJPIRG said that the results underscored the need for state leaders to find a financially responsible fix for the Trust Fund. “New Jersey residents recognize the importance of a safe and reliable transportation system, and the role the Transportation Trust Fund plays in maintaining that system,” Tri-State executive director Kate Slevin said. “Will our leaders in Trenton get the message by passing a financially sustainable, long-term reauthorization of the trust fund?”

Images: First, second, and fourth images are from Monmouth University poll report. Third is TSTC table using data from poll.