Seventy-one percent of voters--including 66 percent of Tea Party movement supporters and 71 percent of Republicans--want federal officials to seek common ground regarding transportation infrastructure investment legislation including public transportation, roads, and bridges, the Rockefeller Foundation announced in a study released earlier this month.

According to the Rockefeller Foundation Infrastructure Survey, two out of three voters called improving the country's transportation infrastructure highly important, while 80 percent said they believe federal funding to improve and modernize transportation will boost local economies and create millions of jobs.

However, the survey also shows that respondents want changes in federal infrastructure investment policies. Two-thirds of respondents favored reforms tested in the survey, with 90 supporting more accountability and certification that projects are delivered on time and fit into a national plan. In terms of priorities, 80 percent believe the country would benefit from an expanded and improved public transportation system, while 57 percent believe that "safer streets for our communities and children" should be the one of the top two priorities if more money is to be invested in infrastructure.

The Rockefeller Foundation summarized the key findings as follows:

* American voters see improvement in transportation infrastructure as a way to improve the economy and their quality of life. With federal unemployment rates hovering at 9 percent, Americans feel that improvements to transportation and infrastructure will create millions of jobs.

* American voters seek consensus and cooperation in Washington, placing legislation related to transportation and infrastructure at the top of their list of issues.

* American voters see room for improvement in how government spends money on infrastructure. With a high federal deficit, Americans overwhelmingly say current government spending on building and maintaining transportation infrastructure is inefficient and unwise--64 percent overall and 72 percent of Republicans--and support reforms aimed at making spending more efficient while still producing results.

* American voters are open to several funding streams for national transportation projects: 78 percent support increased private investment and 72 percent cite imposing penalties on projects that go over budget or exceed their deadline. Other proposals gaining support include a National Infrastructure Bank, new transportation bonds, and eliminating subsidies for American oil companies that drill in other countries.

The foundation funded this nationwide survey of 1,001 registered voters, conducted from Jan. 29 to Feb. 6, 2011, as part of its Transportation Initiative, a $66 million investment aimed at promoting equitable and sustainable transportation policies at the federal and state level.

Highlights of the study are available online.