Most of Russians (78%) and drivers (84%) are in favor of the idea of constructing the duplicate of the Leningrad highway as an alternate route connecting Moscow and Saint-Petersburg.
MOSCOW, September 14, 2010. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the results of the study describing the attitudes of Russians toward constructing the highway connecting Saint-Petersburg and Moscow that would duplicate the existing Leningrad highway. The data are based upon the results of the poll of two basic target audiences: people living in the north of Moscow and Moscow region and drivers using Moscow-Saint-Petersburg highway for personal needs and work.
The existing situation with Leningrad highway is regarded to be critical for 59% of population and 60% of drivers. The most negative assessments come from respondents living in the northern region of Moscow and those who use the highway every day (66% for each group), as well as lorry drivers (63%).
The problems are resulted from the inability of the highway to cope with traffic flow (62 and 79% respectively). Drivers also pointed out poor transport interchanges (52% of drivers and 30% of population), poor road surface (38 and 20% respectively), and large number of traffic lights (30 and 4% respectively).
Many drivers negatively assess the quality of the road surface of the Leningrad highway (70%). The infrastructure of the highway is assessed at average (43%).
Both population (78%) and drivers (84%) feel the need for the duplicate of the Leningrad highway. Those who support the idea of constructing a new road are residents of Solnechnogorsk (99%), Zelenogradskiy (89%) and Northern districts (79%), and those who use this road not rarer than several times per week (85-86%). Drivers of cars (83%), lorries (85%) and public transport (86%) equally recognize the need for additional road, as well as those who use this road every day (86%) and those who uses not more than once per week (82%).
According to Russians, the launch of a toll highway between Moscow and Saint-Petersburg will definitely improve the situation (59%). Those who think so are mainly residents of Solnenchnogorsk (78%) and those who ride the Leningrad highway every day (71%). Forty-seven percent of drivers share this stance: they are basically drivers of lorries (53%). Only every fifth representative of the population opposes the idea (20%) - they are residents of the Northern district of Moscow (29%) and those who ride on the Leningrad highway (23%).
Two-thirds of drivers are going to use a new road (63%): 23% - every day, 18% - several times per week, 22% - not more than once per week. Those who expressed such an opinion are mostly drivers of lorries (71%).
The initiative Russian opinion polls were conducted on September 4-7, 2010. 1000 drivers using the Leningrad highway and 1000 residents of Moscow and Moscow region aged 18 and above residing in Northern, Zelenogradsliy districts, Khimki, Dolgoprudniy and Solnechnogorsk towns were interviewed. The margin of error does not exceed 3.2%.
How would you assess the current situation (traffic speed, traffic jams) on the Leningrad highway? (close-ended question, one answer, % of respondents) | ||
| Population | Drivers |
Situation is positive in general | 2 | 2 |
There are some problems but it is normal in general | 29 | 37 |
Situation is critical | 59 | 60 |
Hard to tell | 10 | 1 |
In your opinion, what are basic reasons for the transport problems that take place on the Leningrad highway? (close-ended question, any number of answers, % of respondents)* | ||
| Population | Drivers |
Traffic capacity does not comply with traffic flow | 62 | 79 |
Poor road surface | 20 | 38 |
Poor transport interchanges | 30 | 52 |
Too many traffic lights | 4 | 30 |
No transport problems | 1 | 1 |
Other | 8 | 10 |
Hard to tell | 17 | 1 |
*the sum in the column does not exceed 100%, as multiple answers were allowed.
In your opinion, should the Leningrad highway be duplicated? (close-ended question, one answer, % of respondents) | ||
| Population | Drivers |
Yes, definitely | 42 | 51 |
Rather yes | 36 | 33 |
Rather no | 5 | 8 |
No need | 6 | 4 |
Hard to tell | 11 | 4 |
It is known that the new Moscow-Saint-Petersburg highway will be a toll road? Which of the statements do you most agree? (close-ended question, one answer, % of surveyed population) | |||||
| Total respondents | Do you/your family members use the Leningrad highway? If yes, how often? | |||
Yes, every day | Yes, 2-3 times per week | Yes, once per week or rarer | No, I do not | ||
The new road will improve the situation; it will be used by drivers including taxi drivers while the social services (emergency, fire service) will use it for free | 59 | 71 | 62 | 58 | 41 |
The toll road, no matter how wide and up-to-date it will be, will not improve the situation | 20 | 17 | 21 | 20 | 23 |
Hard to tell | 21 | 12 | 17 | 22 | 36 |
Will you use the new Moscow-Saint-Petersburg road? If yes, how often? (close-ended question, one answer, % of surveyed drivers) | ||||
| Total respondents | Lorry drivers | Car drivers | Public transport drivers |
Every day | 23 | 23 | 23 | 19 |
2-3 times per week | 18 | 24 | 18 | 12 |
Once per week or rarer | 22 | 24 | 22 | 17 |
I will not use it at all | 17 | 12 | 17 | 27 |
Hard to tell | 20 | 16 | 20 | 26 |
Note: Using materials from the site www.wciom.ru or wciom.com, as well as distributed by VCIOM, the reference to the source (or hyperlink for the electronic media) is obligatory!