Technical Assistance with Rural and Urban Public Transportation Planning

Project Description

The Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) will assist in transferring the results of recent research related to operating rural transit systems, linking rural and metropolitan transit services, and planning commuter rail systems. Assistance will be provided to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), transit operators, and other agencies working with TxDOT. Researchers will:

• review the metropolitan planning organization planning process for rapidly urbanizing areas around Austin as part of a TTI study for the Federal Highway Administration;
• provide formal facilitation of the Scoping Group for the Capital Area Regional Transit Coordination Committee. The goal of the project is to assist the Capital Area to develop a strategy, schedule, budget, and management approach for regional transit coordination during the period October 2005 to September 2006;
• facilitate the discussion of integrated transit services for San Marcos. A memorandum of agreement was approved by the mayor and city council of San Marcos, by the president of Texas State University, and by the Capital Area Rural Transportation System (CARTS) board;
• review the current CARTS reporting and productivity reports and assist in setting up the new framework for system route analysis and productivity; and
• identify the impact of limited financial resources on the ability to provide rural public transportation in the rural areas in Hays, Travis, and Williamson Counties that surround Austin, Texas, and to recommend feasible strategies to maintain historical service levels in the short term (three years) and to increase transit service levels in the midterm (10 years). Possible strategies may include different approaches for service delivery, opportunities for coordination of services, innovative service design, and approaches to allocation of limited financial resources.

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