Conducted for WBUR by

WBUR Boston Area Poll

Survey of 505 Registered Voters
Field Dates: February 12-15, 2015
I'm going to read you the names of several people and groups who are active in public affairs. After I
read each one please tell me if you have a generally favorable or generally unfavorable view of the
person. If you have never heard of the person or if you are undecided, please just say so. READ
FIRST NAME. How about READ NEXT NAME?
REPEAT QUESTION TEXT ONLY IF NECESSARY, PROBE IF RESPONDENT SAYS DONT KNOW.
Have you heard of READ NAME and are undecided about (him/her)? Or PAUSE have you never
heard of (him/her)?
Order rotated

Area
Boston Region

Marty Walsh
City of Boston
Boston Region
Charlie Baker
City of Boston
Bev Scott

Boston Region
City of Boston

Date
Jan 2015
Feb 2015
Jan 2015
Feb 2015
Jan 2015
Feb 2015
Jan 2015
Feb 2015
Jan 2015
Feb 2015

Favorable
68%
65%
74%
65%
58%
59%
58%
50%
29%
36%

Unfavorable
6%
10%
6%
15%
17%
18%
10%
25%
16%
18%

Heard of /
Undecided
21%
19%
18%
17%
23%
20%
28%
22%
19%
17%

Never
heard of
5%
4%
1%
2%
2%
2%
3%
3%
35%
29%

Overall, how would you rate the quality of life in the greater Boston area? Would you say it is
excellent, very good, good, fair, or poor?

Excellent
Very good
Good
Fair
Poor
Dont Know / Refused

Boston Area
Jan 2015
Feb 2015
17%
15%
40%
36%
29%
32%
11%
13%
3%
4%
1%
<1%

City of Boston
Jan 2015 Feb 2015
18%
13%
31%
32%
36%
35%
10%
15%
3%
5%
1%
1%

As you may be aware, Boston was chosen by the United States Olympic Committee to be the U.S. city
that will bid on the games. Do you support or oppose the idea of bringing the Olympic Games to the
Boston region in 2024?

Support
Oppose
Dont Know / Refused

Boston Area
Jan 2015
Feb 2015
51%
44%
33%
46%
16%
10%

City of Boston
Jan 2015
Feb 2015
50%
43%
33%
48%
17%
9%

Refused
1%
1%
<1%
1%
<1%
1%
<1%
1%
1%
<1%

If public funds are used to build Olympic stadiums and other venues, would this make you more
likely or less likely to support bringing the games to Boston, or would it make no difference?

More likely to support

Less likely to support
Would make no difference
Dont Know / Refused

Boston Area
Jan 2015
Feb 2015
10%
12%
44%
47%
43%
38%
4%
3%

City of Boston
Jan 2015 Feb 2015
13%
10%
37%
49%
45%
40%
5%
<1%

If public funds are used to improve the MBTA system as a part of preparing for the Olympics, would
this make you more likely or less likely to support bringing the games to Boston, or would it make no
difference?

More likely to support

Less likely to support
Would make no difference
Dont Know / Refused

Boston
Area
40%
16%
42%
1%

City of
Boston
35%
16%
49%
<1%

Overall, how would you rate the condition of the MBTA system? Order rotated,

Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Dont Know / Refused

Boston Area
Jan 2015
Feb 2015
6%
1%
39%
18%
40%
39%
11%
39%
5%
3%

City of Boston
Jan 2015 Feb 2015
7%
2%
40%
19%
35%
34%
13%
42%
5%
4%

Over the last year, how often would you say MBTA service has been a reliable way to get around the
Boston area?

Always
Most of the time
Sometimes
Rarely
Never
Dont Know / Refused

WBUR Poll
Conducted by The MassINC Polling Group

Boston
Area
11%
50%
25%
6%
4%
5%

City of
Boston
17%
44%
27%
5%
3%
3%

Now Id like to ask you a few questions about the condition of the MBTA in recent weeks.
How closely, if at all, have you been following news about the delays and shutdowns of MBTA service
due to recent snow storms?
Boston City of
Area
Boston
Very closely
56%
61%
Somewhat closely
33%
32%
Not too closely
5%
4%
Not at all closely
5%
3%
Dont Know / Refused
1%
0%
Do you approve or disapprove of the way Governor Charlie Bakers is handling the situation with the
MBTA during the recent snow storms?

Approve
Disapprove
Dont Know / Refused

Boston
Area
49%
35%
16%

City of
Boston
41%
45%
14%

How much of a priority do you think addressing the problems with the MBTA should be for the Baker
administration going forward?

Major priority
Minor priority
Not a priority
Dont Know / Refused

Boston
Area
81%
16%
2%
1%

City of
Boston
86%
13%
1%
0%

Which of the following do you think is MOST responsible for the problems with the MBTA this
winter: an out of date system that has not been maintained properly or poor management by MBTA
officials during the storm? Order rotated,

Out of date system that has not been

maintained properly
Poor management by MBTA officials
during the storm
Both / neither / depends (not read)
Dont Know / Refused

WBUR Poll
Conducted by The MassINC Polling Group

Boston
Area

City of
Boston

66%

68%

17%

18%

12%
4%

10%
4%

Recent reports indicate the MBTA faces shortfalls in the billions of dollars for maintaining and
modernizing the system. Which of the following do you think is most responsible for this shortfall?
Order rotated,

Not enough money from the state

legislature
Waste and mismanagement of funds
Prioritizing expanding the system
over maintaining the current system
Dont Know / Refused

Boston
Area

City of
Boston

30%

27%

36%

41%

23%

24%

11%

7%

Who would you say is most responsible for the troubles with the MBTA this winter? Order rotated,

Governor Charlie Baker

MBTA General Manager Beverly Scott
Boston Mayor Marty Walsh
The Massachusetts State Legislature
Previous Massachusetts governors
Someone else (not read, specify: _____)
Dont know / Refused

Boston
Area
5%
19%
2%
27%
25%
8%
15%

City of
Boston
5%
17%
3%
28%
23%
9%
14%

Would you support or oppose paying more in taxes or fees to improve the MBTA? Would you say you
strongly support/oppose, or just somewhat?

Strongly Support
Somewhat Support
Somewhat Oppose
Strongly Oppose
Dont Know / Refused

Boston
Area
24%
24%
15%
33%
3%

City of
Boston
27%
22%
13%
34%
3%

Some people say ______________. Others say ______________. Which is closer to your own view? Order
rotated,
Boston City of
Area
Boston
The MBTA should focus only on
maintaining and modernizing the
48%
49%
system we already have
In addition to maintenance, we should
continue to expand the system to
44%
44%
build capacity for the future
Both / neither / depends (not read)
6%
6%
Dont Know / Refused
2%
2%

WBUR Poll
Conducted by The MassINC Polling Group

Demographics
Race
White / Caucasian
All others
Dont Know / Refused

75%
21%
4%

18 to 29
30 to 44
45 to 59
60+

16%
25%
28%
31%

Male
Female

47%
53%

Age

Gender

About the Poll

These results are based on a survey of 505 registered voters living in the Boston area. For the
purposes of this poll, the Boston area was defined as communities inside Route 128 or which
straddle Route 128. The poll included a base sample of 405 residents in the entire area including
Boston, with an additional 100 voters living in the City of Boston. Between the base sample and
oversample, a total of 215 voters in the City of Boston were interviewed, which were weighted down
to the citys actual share of the areas total population of registered voters.
Interviews were conducted February 12-15, 2015 by live telephone interviews via both landline and
cell phone using conventional registration based sampling procedures. The margin of sampling error
for the full sample is +/- 4.9 percent with a 95 percent level of confidence, and 6.7 percent for the City
of Boston figures. The poll was sponsored by WBUR, a National Public Radio station in the Boston
area.
WBUR Poll
Conducted by The MassINC Polling Group