Poll: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

Q1. On January 27, Southwest Airlines, the last major US airline to offer open seating, ended its 54-year tradition and switched to assigned seating.

Generally speaking, which did you prefer?

(Image: Southwest conducts its first commercial flight, Dallas, TX 1971. Courtesy Southwest)

overall

custom

male

female

rep

ind

dem

18-29

30-44

45-64

65+

Strongly prefer open seating

13%

17%

10%

18%

13%

9%

31%

12%

10%

11%

13%

Prefer open

7%

5%

10%

7%

15%

6%

10%

9%

7%

6%

7%

No preference

12%

13%

11%

6%

8%

18%

28%

12%

9%

12%

Prefer assigned

25%

23%

28%

24%

23%

27%

14%

28%

26%

25%

Strongly prefer assigned seating

35%

37%

34%

39%

32%

33%

14%

30%

42%

40%

35%

Not sure

4%

2%

4%

2%

6%

5%

3%

8%

3%

1%

4%

Don't care

3%

4%

2%

0%

1%

3%

7%

3%

Q2. Congress established the Corporate Average Fuel Economy, or CAFE, standards in 1975 as a way to curb the country’s dependence on foreign oil. At the time, Arab oil-producing nations had cut off oil exports to the US, causing prices to rise and long lines at gas stations. US vehicles averaged 13 mpg at the time and gas cost $4.70 a gallon in today's dollars.

CAFE standards require each automaker's fleet to average a certain mpg. The formula can be complicated as it's based on vehicle size and other inputs, but today the average car sold in the US averages 27 mpg. CA has the highest average at 33.5, ND the lowest at 22.6.

Earlier this year, the Trump administration lowered the CAFE target for 2031 from 50 mpg to 34.5, arguing that will knock $1k off the average price of new cars. (The average price of a new car in the US today is $50k)

Where would you like to see the 2031 CAFE target?

(Image: Gas line, March 1974, San Jose, CA. AP)

overall

custom

male

female

rep

ind

dem

18-29

30-44

45-64

65+

50 mpg or more

39%

31%

45%

4%

42%

69%

52%

46%

33%

37%

39%

40

12%

11%

14%

11%

17%

5%

12%

15%

12%

34

13%

9%

17%

24%

10%

5%

0%

6%

21%

15%

13%

25

4%

5%

4%

0%

7%

2%

7%

4%

Lower than 25

0%

1%

0%

1%

0%

No CAFE standards

22%

37%

9%

46%

20%

1%

31%

25%

20%

17%

22%

Not sure

5%

1%

9%

2%

6%

8%

0%

5%

8%

5%

Don't care

4%

5%

3%

7%

3%

1%

0%

6%

4%

2%

4%

Q3. On Friday, President Trump said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D, NY) had suggested renaming NYC's Penn Station after Trump as part of a deal to unfreeze federal funding for the $16 billion Gateway rail tunnel project, which would add another commuter tunnel between New Jersey and Manhattan.

Schumer said that was an "Absolute lie."

On Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the renaming suggestion was Trump's.

Your view? (check all that apply)

(Image: 110-yr-old rail tunnel connecting NJ to Manhattan's Penn Station. Getty // Victor Blue)

overall

custom

male

female

rep

ind

dem

18-29

30-44

45-64

65+

Schumer suggested renaming after Trump

8%

7%

8%

18%

3%

0%

11%

10%

4%

8%

Trump suggested

74%

75%

74%

52%

78%

92%

86%

77%

68%

75%

74%

Penn Station will be renamed Trump

5%

2%

8%

7%

6%

4%

0%

1%

9%

6%

5%

Will not

69%

76%

63%

56%

71%

81%

86%

76%

61%

68%

69%

Ok to name things after living presidents

22%

23%

21%

43%

17%

5%

3%

28%

26%

14%

22%

Is not

54%

52%

54%

15%

61%

84%

69%

46%

50%

61%

54%

OK to name things after dead presidents

70%

71%

68%

61%

73%

76%

72%

74%

68%

67%

70%

Is not

3%

4%

3%

1%

6%

4%

0%

3%

4%

3%

Not sure

5%

4%

6%

4%

7%

14%

9%

2%

3%

5%

Don't care

17%

21%

13%

35%

18%

2%

28%

9%

18%

17%