Skip to main content

America THINKS 2014 mobility survey

The most recent America THINKS survey from civil engineering consulting and construction management firm HNTB examines the public’s views on the country’s current and future mobility trends, finding that many Americans fear the potential for local infrastructure failure and see a clear need for the industry to offer the spark of innovation moving forward. The survey polled a random nationwide sample of 1,152 Americans in 2013 using an e-mail invitation and online survey. Nine in ten (90 per cent) Ame
February 10, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
The most recent America THINKS survey from civil engineering consulting and construction management firm HNTB examines the public’s views on the country’s current and future mobility trends, finding that many Americans fear the potential for local infrastructure failure and see a clear need for the industry to offer the spark of innovation moving forward.

The survey polled a random nationwide sample of 1,152 Americans in 2013 using an e-mail invitation and online survey.

Nine in ten (90 per cent) Americans think at least one mode of US transportation needs a spark of innovation, and an overwhelming majority (93 per cent) think at least one US transportation mode is in need of repair.

A 95 per cent majority thinks it is important to rebuild physical infrastructure so it survives increasingly intense weather patterns; 59 per cent believes this construction is very crucial.

While many Americans see a need for a proactive attitude, with nearly two in three, or 65 per cent fearing that a local infrastructure failure will occur within a year, nearly seven in ten (69 per cent) think construction of physical infrastructure in the US is typically done after a natural disaster to repair damage rather than beforehand to prevent it.

In the world of wheels, nearly nine in ten Americans travel by car, with less than one in four using public buses and even fewer travelling on subways, light rail or bicycles. Asked how they would change their routine if local mobility were seamless, nearly two in three (63 per cent) think the modes of transportation in their area need to be more efficient, and more than half (53 per cent) think it is difficult to access different modes of transportation.  Seventy per cent would alter their actions if local mobility was seamless, with many taking public transit more and driving less, with some even walking more.

Looking toward the future, with the rise of new technologies, many Americans think transportation should be different 20 years from now. Ideas range from more options for green travel, less reliance on personal vehicles and automated transportation to high-speed rail and self-driving cars.

Related Content

  • Driverless vehicles will cause changes in society
    May 31, 2013
    Paul Godsmark gives his views on what the advent of autonomous vehicles would mean for the wider society. Further to your article ‘Driver not required…’ in the Jan/Feb edition of ITS International which gave some great background to autonomous road vehicle (ARVs), I feel that the bigger picture is needed to aid understanding. There is a ‘technology freight train’ heading our way that is going to transform our roadways but we don’t seem to be aware of it and, therefore, are in no hurry to react.
  • Rapid growth makes Texas an incubator for tolling innovation
    September 8, 2014
    As the IBTTA’s annual meeting and exhibition heads for Austin, Mitchell Beer, president of Smarter Shift, considers the role of Texas in the development of tolling strategies and technology. The State of Texas has always prided itself on being ‘larger than life’. From the sprawling geography of the state itself with its wide open skies, to its entrepreneurial ‘get-it-done’ attitude, Texas exudes an impatient restlessness that pushes businesses and public agencies to deliver faster, better results. More ofte
  • Switching Atlanta onto MaaS
    May 9, 2019
    It’s easy to talk about MaaS in the abstract – but MaaS isn’t going to work if it’s just a theory. Colin Sowman speaks to one woman about the practical benefits - and difficulties - of getting out of her car and switching to public transit in Atlanta, Georgia One of the first goals of Mobility as a Service (MaaS) inventor Sampo Hietanen is that MaaS should persuade households they don’t need a second car. This is starting to happen - even in the car-dominated US. Last year, authorities in the state of Ge
  • Seleta Reynolds: 'Set a vision, listen to your people & then get out of their way'
    September 12, 2022
    Los Angeles, host of the 2022 ITS World Congress, is a city where the only constant is change, says Seleta Reynolds of LA Metro. Adam Hill finds out about leadership, dream jobs and the 2028 Olympics...