Polls Page - Texas Sprawl

Nine out of ten Texans say the state has become more crowded, and more than 80 percent would like Texas’ population growth to slow down or stop (Full results here.) A plurality (46%) favor restrictions on development to discourage people from moving in, while a majority (57%) favor reducing annual immigration.

The population of Texas has more than doubled since 1980. Would you prefer that the Texas population continue to rapidly grow, that it grow more slowly, that it stay about the same size, or that it become smaller?

In recent years, have you sensed that Texas’s cities, parks, neighborhoods, schools, and roads have become much more crowded, somewhat more crowded, somewhat less crowded, or much less crowded?

A study of government data found that 70% of the loss of Texas’s Open Space, natural habitat, and farmland in recent decades was related to the state's rapid population growth. Would continuing this level of population growth into the future make Texas better, worse or not much different?

Government data show that the United States now has about one-third less cropland for each American than it did 30 years ago. Howimportantis it to protect U.S. farmland from development so the United States is able to produce enough food to feed its own human population in the future?

If recent migration and fertility trends continue, Texas demographers project that the state's population of 30 million will reach about 44 million by 2060. Do you find the prospect of adding another 14 million residents to bemore positive or more negative?

If Texas adds another 14 million residents, do you expecttraffic to become much worse or would the state Department of Transportation be able to build enough extra road capacity to accommodate the extra residents without more congestion?

Texas ranks third in the U.S. in agricultural acres irrigated, and irrigation is crucial to food production in the state. Texas cities compete for scarce water with agriculture.Should water used to irrigate farmland be diverted to support additional human population growth in Texas?

Texas has limited water flows in its undammed streams and rivers. Is it more important for the remaining amount of water in free-flowing streams and rivers to beused to support forested wildlife habitat, fish and birds, or is it more important to use the remaining water in Texas streams to support the projected increase of residents in the state?

A major source of Texas population growth is people moving in from other states, especially places like California.Should local and state governments in Texas make it more difficult for people to move to Texas from other states by restricting development?

Another major source of Texas population growth is immigration from other countries. Should the federal governmentreduce annual immigration to slow down Texas population growth, keep immigration and population growth at the current level, or increase annual immigration and population growth?

One way to handle continued population growth without losing as much open space, natural habitat, and farmland in Texas is to change zoning and other regulations to funnel more current and future residents into apartments and condo buildings instead of single-family houses with yards. Do youstrongly favor that change, somewhat favor it, somewhat oppose it or strongly oppose it?

The population of Texas has more than doubled since 1980. Would you prefer that the Texas population continue to rapidly grow, that it grow more slowly, that it stay about the same size, or that it become smaller?

In recent years, have you sensed that Texas’s cities, parks, neighborhoods, schools, and roads have become much more crowded, somewhat more crowded, somewhat less crowded, or much less crowded?

Two Decades of NumbersUSA Studies on Population Growth and Urban Sprawl

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