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  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 Iread 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 S AYS “DON’T 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 Date Favorable Unfavorable

Heard of /

Undecided

Never

heard of Refus

Marty Walsh

Boston RegionJan 2015 68% 6% 21% 5% 1%

Feb 2015 65% 10% 19% 4% 1%

City of BostonJan 2015 74% 6% 18% 1%

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WBUR Poll 2

Conducted by The MassINC Polling Group

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?

Boston Area City of Boston

Jan 2015 Feb 2015 Jan 2015 Feb 2015

More likely to support 10% 12% 13% 10%

Less likely to support 44% 47% 37% 49%Would make no difference 43% 38% 45% 40%

Don’t Know / Refused  4% 3% 5%

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WBUR Poll 3

Conducted by The MassINC Polling Group

Now I’d 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

Area

City of

Boston

Very closely 56% 61%Somewhat closely 33% 32%

Not too closely 5% 4%

Not at all closely 5% 3%

Don’t  Know / Refused 1% 0%

Do you approve or disapprove of the way Governor Charlie Baker’s is handling the situation with the

MBTA during the recent snow storms?

Boston

Area

City of

Boston

Approve 49% 41%

Disapprove 35% 45%Don’t Know / Refused  16% 14%

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

administration going forward?

Boston

Area

City of

Boston

Major priority 81% 86%

Minor priority 16% 13%

Not a priority 2% 1%

Don’t Know / Refused  1% 0%

Which of the following do you think is MOST responsible for the problems with the MBTA thiswinter: an out of date system that has not been maintained properly or poor management by MBTA

officials during the storm? Order rotated, 

Boston

Area

City of

Boston

Out of date system that has not been

maintained properly66% 68%

Poor management by MBTA officials

during the storm17% 18%

Both / neither / depends (not read) 12% 10%

Don’t Know / Refused  4% 4%

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WBUR Poll 4

Conducted by The MassINC Polling Group

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, 

Boston

Area

City of

Boston

Not enough money from the statelegislature 30% 27%

Waste and mismanagement of funds 36% 41%

Prioritizing expanding the system

over maintaining the current system23% 24%

Don’t Know / Refused  11% 7%

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

Boston

Area

City of

Boston

Governor Charlie Baker 5% 5%

MBTA General Manager Beverly Scott 19% 17%Boston Mayor Marty Walsh 2% 3%

The Massachusetts State Legislature 27% 28%

Previous Massachusetts governors 25% 23%

Someone else (not read, specify: _____) 8% 9%

Don’t know / Refused  15% 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?

Boston

Area

City of

Boston

Strongly Support 24% 27%

Somewhat Support 24% 22%Somewhat Oppose 15% 13%

Strongly Oppose 33% 34%

Don’t Know / Refused  3% 3%

Some people say ______________. Others say ______________. Which is closer to your own view? Order

rotated, 

Boston

Area

City of

Boston

The MBTA should focus only on

maintaining and modernizing the

system we already have

48% 49%

In addition to maintenance, we shouldcontinue to expand the system to

build capacity for the future

44% 44%

Both / neither / depends (not read) 6% 6%

Don’t Know / Refused  2% 2%

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WBUR Poll 5

Conducted by The MassINC Polling Group

Demographics

Race

White / Caucasian 75%

All others 21%

Don’t Know / Refused  4%

Age

18 to 29 16%

30 to 44 25%

45 to 59 28%

60+ 31%

Gender

Male 47%Female  53%

 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 andoversample, a total of 215 voters in the City of Boston were interviewed, which were weighted down

to the city’s actual share of the area’s 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.