Examining Challenges, Opportunities and Best Practices for Addressing Rural Mobility and Economic Development under SAFETEA-LU's Coordinated Planning and Human Services Framework

Project Description

Reliable public transit planning is critical to the economic vitality of rural communities. Rural population groups, especially the elderly, disabled and economically disadvantaged, heavily depend on public transit to access jobs, retail, and health and human services. In response to changes in federal requirements for transit planning, this study evaluated the coordinated transit and human services processes that reduce waste and maximize transportation resources and service coverage.

This study reveals that while there are existing transportation coordination efforts in many regions, the recent legislation encourages regions to have a more strategic approach to transportation coordination based on significant data collection and analysis to identify needs, barriers, and constraints; recruit non-traditional partners for coordination efforts; and identify additional opportunities for coordination. Significant challenges to coordination still remain, however, including inadequate funding, regulatory constraints, and the need to build trust and sustain coordination efforts over the long run.

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Link: Final Report

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