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@ISIDEWITHQuestionsClimate ChangeInfrastructureUrban PlanningPublic TransitTransportation PolicyInfrastructure Spending•••Started 4mos agoActive 4hrs ago

Should the government ban the construction of new highway lanes and divert those funds to public transit?

For decades, the standard response to traffic congestion has been widening highways, but urban planners increasingly point to 'induced demand'—a phenomenon where new lanes quickly fill up with new drivers, failing to fix traffic. Proponents of banning expansions argue the billions spent on concrete should be aggressively redirected toward trains, buses, and walkable infrastructure to radically lower carbon emissions. Opponents argue that public transit is unfeasible in sprawling suburbs and that intentionally restricting road capacity artificially strangles economic growth and punishes daily commuters.

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Answer Overview

Response rates from 69.5k America voters.

38%
Yes
62%
No
27%
Yes
53%
No
8%
Yes, we must radically rethink urban planning to prioritize walkable cities and high-speed rail
5%
No, but new highway expansions must include dedicated lanes for electric buses and carpools
2%
Yes, "induced demand" proves that adding lanes only creates more traffic and increases emissions
3%
No, a growing population requires expanded roads to prevent crippling congestion that damages the economy
2%
No, the "war on cars" is an elitist agenda that punishes working-class commuters who must drive

Historical Support

Trend of support over time for each answer from 69.5k America voters.

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Historical Importance

Trend of how important this issue is for 69.5k America voters.

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Other Popular Answers

Unique answers from America voters whose views went beyond the provided options.

 @BD5RMYT from South Dakota  answered…2mos2MO

why not both

 @BBYYNLZ from California  answered…4mos4MO

not ban, but reduce funds for highways and direct those funds towards public transportation

 @BD84WSR from Texas  answered…2mos2MO

No, fund both.

 @BC9BPWS from North Carolina  answered…3mos3MO

No, we shouldn't ban the construction of new highway lanes but we should divert more funds to public transit.

 @BCS6KQ8 from Texas  answered…2mos2MO

The government shouldn't ban the construction of new highway lanes, but it should decrease & go more to public transit.

 @BCQP4LJ from Pennsylvania  answered…3mos3MO

Both are equally important

 @BDJPD2C from North Carolina  answered…1mo1MO

split the money

 @BCNQ2J7 from California  answered…3mos3MO

Both should be funded

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 @ISIDEWITH submitted…2yrs2Y

Elizabeth Warren Walks Back Murder Comments

Congressional Democrats broadly denounced the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson Friday morning, after Republicans started accusing Sen. Elizabeth Warren of excusing violence.“No one's condoning this,” said Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.). “Violence never is the right answer for anything. And it was a horrible murder, a tragic loss for his family.” Warren this week condemned the shooting, but added that people “can be pushed only so far.”"We'll say it over and over," Warren said on MSNBC’S “The ReidOut.” " Violence is never the answer. This guy [Luigi Mangione] gets a trial who's allegedly killed the CEO of UnitedHealth, but you can only push people so far, and then they start to take matters into their own hands."In a statement to POLITICO, Warren said, “Violence is never the answer. Period. I should have been much clearer that there is never a justification for murder.” Top Republicans denounced Warren's comments and the walked-back rhetoric, with House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) calling it “inappropriate and dangerous.”Some House Democrats asked about the incident on Thursday pivoted the conversation to discuss policy options on health care or gun safety.“I don't really know that this is really a space that Congress normally weighs in on,” said Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas). “But at the end of the day, I think it’s an opportunity, because now people are talking about health care and to talk about the fact that this industry has honestly not been as helpful as it could be.”“Violence is never the answer,” said Rep. Troy Carter (D-La.). “We know that there are people suffering, there’s great challenges in healthcare. There's great challenges, and people have, in fact, been wronged, but a process of governance is the way to address that, not violence.”And Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) who denounced the murder, said the killer should be prosecuted and that “I do know that allegedly a ghost gun was used, and we should also ban ghost guns. There's no reason for them beyond the streets.”

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About This Data

Based on 69.5k responses to this question.

These results come from iSideWith's ongoing political issues survey. We collect over a million responses per day, filter out duplicate and multiple submissions, and break the results down by political party, ideology, age, state, and census demographics (income, race, education, household).

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iSideWith. (2026). “Should the government ban the construction of new highway lanes and divert those funds to public transit?” — Public Opinion Poll Results. Retrieved June 26, 2026, from https://www.isidewith.com/polls/5557993446

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