A new KPRC-2 poll suggests that Houstonians are not buying Mayor White’s claims about improving mobility in the city:
In an exclusive Local 2 Flashpoll, SurveyUSA asked approximately 500 Houstonians, “if they think the mayor’s SAFEclear program, along with synchronized traffic lights, has helped Houston traffic?”
Eleven percent believed the situation has improved. Fifty-nine percent said it has gotten worse. Twenty-nine percent said it is the same as before and 1 percent of the people polled were not sure.
I could not find the details of the poll on KPRC’s website, so that result should certainly be taken with a grain of salt. Still, politicians generally aren’t happy when they’re on the wrong side of 60%.
The poll reminds us of this bizarre paragraph from Kristen Mack’s glowing Chronicle review (more on that fine piece of journalism at some later time) of Mayor White’s first year:
Other moves already are having real or perceived effect. White’s first initiative, which he announced during his inauguration speech, was to synchronize traffic signals at 1,500 intersections by the end of the year to ease congestion. Before some intersections were complete, people were noting a difference, and White acknowledged that just announcing it created a placebo effect. It was an easy and early win.
I wonder sometimes if Kristen Mack even reads the copy she churns out. Either the initiatives have had an effect, or they have not. There’s no “placebo effect” to lights being out of sync. Either you’re stuck in traffic because of the problem or not. You don’t sit at a red light and imagine it’s green because Mayor White says so!
The KPRC poll — if it is to be believed — suggests that many Houstonians aren’t buying the mayor’s rhetoric on mobility. Local television news, talk radio and message boards suggest the mayor has taken a big hit from the $AFEclear program, and deservedly so.
Incidentally, Mayor White asserted on the Baker show earlier that the revenues raised from the newly created $AFEclear wrecker oligopoly will be reinvested in traffic enforcement. He specifically mentioned motorcycle cops. We here at blogHOUSTON have been citing the need for more cops for some time now, but the Mayor and his Council have made no moves of which we’re aware in that regard. Unfortunately, Baker did not press White on his curious assertion about boosting traffic cops or on the amount of money the $AFEclear program has raised, so those questions remain. Indeed, quite a few questions remain, as the mayor pretty much stuck to his talking points and platitudes.
