Sangamon Sun

Illinois commuters might not practice what they preach in terms of transportation, but they remain supportive of public transportation, according to the results of an annual Illinois Department of Transportation survey released recently.

According to the "Illinois Traveler Opinion Survey," 83 percent of commuters still drive their personal vehicles to work every day. Still, 94 percent of respondents support passenger rail services, 92 percent want increased rail services, and 95 percent support IDOT's use of funding to build, maintain and operate public transportation systems.

The 2016 survey garnered 1,176 qualified responses and was undertaken with the help of the University of Illinois Springfield's Survey Research Office. It allows the department to understand Illinoisans travel habits and preferences and determine its areas of focus. 

The survey also showed that 69 percent of respondents consider the state’s highway system to be good or very good, and 83 percent consider IDOT’s performance to be good or very good.

“These survey results show that our residents understand and appreciate that Illinois is the transportation hub of North America and the various modes operate as one system,” Randy Blankenhorn, secretary of Illinois Transportation, said. “Feedback from you is important to us. In 2017, we are striving to set the bar even higher for IDOT while trying our best to deliver the world-class transportation system that Illinois expects and deserves.”