Trains, planes, automobiles; to some in urban settings, dependable transportation is a choice, not a concern. However, in rural settings, the availability of transportation is often limited if provided at all. Reliable transportation is critical to helping rural communities and community members remain healthy and productive, it is what binds communities together and supports economic growth. Research indicates that nearly 40 percent of all rural residents live in areas with no public transportation, and another 28 percent live in areas with limited levels of service.
Rural residents need to receive medical care, get to work, access child care, purchase food and household items, attend school events, and access many other services just as their urban counterparts. Frequent accessibility is restricted or limited because of the distance to those services or opportunities, and the lack of public and private transportation. Oftentimes, special needs that can be alleviated through medical facilities, social service agencies, and educational programs are forgone because of the distance to be traveled.
Transportation is also a pivotal factor in determining whether the disabled and aged populations are able to remain in their homes and their communities. Enhancing transportation opportunities for a rural community can improve economic growth and community development that will ensure quality of life for residents in rural environments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tools
A-Z Index of U.S. Government Departments and Agencies
Web site
A-Z list of government offices and services used to locate such services and offices by state or local area. Website is also available in many other languages.
Americans with Disabilities Act and You: Frequently Asked Questions on Taxicab Service
Web site
Offers a list of FAQs that answer questions about taxi services for customers with disabilities. Questions address service animals, providing non-discriminatory services, the affects of ADA on taxi services, and demand-responsive transportation.
APTA: United States Local and State Transit Links
Database
Provides a list of all transit agencies and their local links (if available) by state, county, and city.
Building an Individual Transportation Plan
Research instrument
Designed to help transition specialists, employment counselors, social workers, and other human service agency personnel understand how the availability, or lack of transportation services, impacts individuals receiving services.
Community Transportation Assistance Program (CTAP) Peer Network
Web site
This online community of mobility professionals allows for interacting with peers in the field, sharing expertise, requesting and offering technical assistance, suggesting topics for learning events, and posting calendar items.
Coordination Myths and Realities: Insurance
Web site
Addresses issues of insurance coverage related to human services transportation. Provides links to organizations that provide insurance or that can offer model programs, toolkits, laws, and other related information.
CTAA Professional Development & Training
Web site
Offers training courses and certification programs for transit leaders and innovators to better serve their communities and passengers.
Easter Seals Project ACTION (Accessible Community Transportation in Our Nation)
Technical assistance
Provides training and technical assistance to members of the disability and transportation communities to help address accessibility issues. Site houses a clearinghouse of free publications with capabilities to search for those related to rural transportation.
Easter Seals Project ACTION Store
Web site
Lists publications, videos, training materials and multi-media resources available in the Easter Seals Project ACTION (ESPA) Clearinghouse which provides information on accessible transportation. All products are free of charge and can be ordered for delivery or electronic download.
FARS (Fatality Analysis Reporting System) Encyclopedia
Web site
Provides statistical information on traffic fatalities including vehicle type, people involved, and geographic location, including rural/urban.
FHWA Rural Transportation Planning
Web site
Provides links to information on rural transportation initiatives, publications and tools.
Google Transit
Web site
Gives customers access to travel routes, schedules, and travel times on participating urban and rural transportation services.
Joblinks Employment Transportation
Web site
Connects workforce development agencies, transportation providers, and other stakeholders with transportation-to-work solutions. Website offers transportation strategies, materials to support workers, virtual presentations, and a newsletter.
Local Community Action Agency Directory
Web site
A directory of local community action agencies (CAAs) developed by VirtualCAP.org that provides contact information by either state or agency name.
Medicaid Benefits: Non-Emergency Medical Transportation Services
Database
Offers a state-by-state listing of non-emergency transportation coverage for Medicaid recipients.
Medical Transportation: Toolkit and Best Practices
Web site
Designed to assist medical organizations and institutions to better serve their clients'
medical transportation needs. Outlines how community transportation can assist
health organizations, explains Medicaid's role in medical transportation, inventories non-Medicaid funding possibilities and describes how to make use of existing transit first.
Mobility Equals Independence: Creating Greater Transportation Options for Older Adults
Tutorial
Presents the ideas and strategies of national-level policy makers and planners regarding their work and responsibility in transportation for older adults.
National Center on Senior Transportation
Web site
Develops, collects, and distributes information and resources for use by communities, transportation providers, state and local governments, and human service providers to increase transportation options for older adults. Technical assistance, research toward solutions, strategic communications and building partnerships among stakeholders are additional functions of the center.
National Rural Transit Assistance Programs (RTAP)
Technical assistance
Serves as a federal-state-local partnership providing training and technical assistance products and services for distribution and replication by the states' rural transit agencies and operators. Website offers access to information and expertise, including a list of state Rural Transit Assistance Program (RTAP) contacts.
National Transportation Library
Web site
Includes links to online transportation publications, as well as frequently asked questions on transportation issues and an Ask-a-Librarian reference service.
Public Involvement Techniques
Web site
Makes available a variety of public involvement techniques available to transportation agencies. Includes 14 techniques originally published in Innovations in Public Involvement for Transportation Planning.
Rural Highway Safety Clearinghouse
Web site
Provides citizen-centered research, training, and outreach to enhance rural safety and to meet the online and seminar training needs of rural transportation practitioners and policymakers.
Rural Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Resources
Web site
Provides links to Web sites and articles that will serve as useful resources to visitors looking for the latest information and advances in Intelligent Transportation Systems technology.
Rural Planning Organization Directory: A Nationwide Directory of Rural Transportation Planners
Web site
Lists a planner and executive director for each
rural planning organization (RPO) by state and organization. Includes contacts for formal RPOs and regional development organizations that conduct some transportation planning activities without being designated as RPOs.
Rural Road Crashes: They're Preventable
Web site
Safety education materials directed toward teen drivers, instructors, parents, law enforcement, and Iowa's rural road stakeholders that can be applied to other state's rural roads. Website offers access to a short video segment, discussion guide, coaching guide, and quiz.
Rural Transportation
Web site
Links to technical assistance programs, news, publications, and information on rural transportation issues.
Rural, Tribal and Small Town Sustainability
Web site
Part of HUD's Sustainable Communities Resource Center, this topic area describes strategies that communities are developing to improve their environmental, economic, and social sustainability. Offers publications and reports, tools and toolkits, plus sample programs and initiatives for rural, tribal and small town sustainability.
RuralTransportation.org
Web site
Designed to serve rural transportation stakeholders, including local elected officials and regional development professionals. Includes links to publications and resources, examples of state models for rural transportation planning, and more. Produced by the National Association of Counties (NACo) and the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO).
Safe Road Maps
Web site
Combines information from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System with Google Maps to provide a visual representation of traffic safety across the nation. Also available are tutorials, data, videos, resources, and press releases related to highway safety in rural and urban areas.
State Department of Transportation Directory
Web site
Directory of state transportation web sites.
State Human Service Agency Information and Links
Web site
Provides a directory of state human service agencies, including telephone numbers and links to websites for each state's agency or agencies dealing with human service programs.
State Transportation Statistics
Web site
Presents statistical profiles of the transportation infrastructure, freight movement and passenger travel, system safety, vehicles, transportation related economy and finance, energy usage and the environment is presented in tables covering the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Transportation to Work Toolkit for the Business Community
Web site
Gives businesses information on how to assist their employees in achieving a timely, cost-efficient commute that promotes productivity and job satisfaction. Toolkit materials include: flyers, fact sheets, resources and examples of transportation initiatives undertaken by employers nationwide.
Transportation Toolbox for Rural Areas and Small Communities
Web site
A project through the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Transportation to address long term rural transportation needs by assisting public and private stakeholders in planning, developing, and improving rural areas and small communities.
United We Ride
Web site
Provides information on all federal programs funding human service transportation. Also includes state-supported initiatives, success stories, and a database of useful practices.
USDA Rural Passenger Transportation Technical Assistance Program
Technical assistance
Provides planning assistance for rural community transportation projects on topics like transportation coordination, facility development, and new system start-up.
Maps & Map Collections
Public Transportation Use
Interactive
Geographic coverage: United States
Printable map that shows the percentage of workers 16 years and older in the U.S. by state who use public transportation. Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2002.
Date: 2002
Regulations, Forms & Other Useful Documents
2-1-1, 5-1-1, and Human Services Transportation
Sponsoring organization: Federal Transit Administration
Provides an assessment of the roles of the 211 and 511 telephone services in coordinating the scheduling of human services transportation. Includes background information on each service and a discussion of the differences that are relevant for the one-stop scheduling concept.
Date: 11 / 2004
2009 National Scan: Rural Transportation Planning Organizations
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Development Organizations
Summarizes regional planning organization (RPO) characteristics and activities gathered from a survey of regional development organizations.
Date: 06 / 2009
Affordable Car Ownership Programs: Transporting Families Toward Financial Stability and Success
Author(s): Betsy Rubiner
Sponsoring organization: Annie E. Casey Foundation
Examines programs that are helping rural low-income families to acquire affordable, reliable transportation as a strategy to stabilize or improve their employment situation.
Date: 2006
Aging in Place: A State Survey of Livability Policies and Practices
Author(s): Nicholas Farber, Douglas Shinkle, Jana Lynott, Wendy Fox-Grage, Rodney Harrell,
Sponsoring organization: AARP Public Policy Institute
Examines how state policies regarding land use, transportation, and housing, including rural issues, can help seniors age in place.
Date: 12 / 2011
At the Intersection of Public Health and Transportation: Promoting Healthy Transportation Policy
Sponsoring organization: American Public Health Association
Provides evidence-based information about how transportation policy and practice in suburban, urban and rural communities affect public health.
Date: 2010
Building Mobility Partnerships for People with Disabilities: Opportunities for Federal Funding and Promising Practices
Sponsoring organization: Easter Seals Project ACTION
Designed to help transportation providers, metropolitan planning officials, disability service providers, and individuals with disabilities identify the federal programs and services available to rural and urban areas.
Date: 01 / 2007
Case Studies on Transit and Livable Communities in Rural and Small Town America
Author(s): Sean Barry
Sponsoring organization: Transportation for America
Collection of 12 case studies providing examples of how small cities, towns, and rural regions across the country are transforming themselves into more livable communities.
Date: 09 / 2010
Connecting the Dots: A Guide for Connecting with Your Department of Transportation
Author(s): David Cole
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Development Organizations
Presents methods for problem solving, building stronger state and local partnerships, and understanding the unique opportunities that transportation and economic development projects bring to rural regions and communities. Describes programs and partnerships established by the Maine Department of Transportation.
Date: 09 / 2011
Crossing Great Divides: A Guide to Elder Mobility Resources and Solutions in Indian Country
Sponsoring organization: National Center on Senior Transportation
Provides information about transportation funding opportunities to meet the needs of elders living on reservations. Describes Title VI Aging Services and Tribal Transit Programs.
Date: 2010
Exploring the Role of Regional Transportation Projects as Rural Economy Drivers
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Development Organizations
Describes case studies in Alabama, Oregon, and Vermont that demonstrate successful partnerships between regional development organizations (RDOs) and local governments in transportation-led economic development projects.
Date: 2011
Faith Based Organizations: Potential Partners in Rural Transportation
Sponsoring organization: Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities
Reports on a survey of rural Faith Based Organizations (FBOs) to assess their interest in providing local transportation for people with disabilities and their capacity to do so.
Date: 05 / 2007
Getting Youth to the Workplace: Youth Employment Transportation Briefs 1-4
Sponsoring organization: Community Transportation Association of America
Provides a compilation of documents addressing rural youth employment transportation barriers, initiatives, funding and success stories.
Date: 11 / 2007
Guide for Enhancing Rural Emergency Medical Services
Sponsoring organization: Transportation Research Board
Offers guidance for implementation of the AASHTO Strategic Highway Safety Plan. Provides strategies that can be employed to enhance rural emergency medical services.
Date: 2005
Low-Income Car Ownership Programs: 2006 Survey
Reports on the characteristics of programs that provide access to car ownership for low-wage
workers, based on a survey of car-ownership programs that was conducted between June and August, 2006. Addresses car ownership issues in rural communities.
Date: 06 / 2007
Medical Transportation: Challenges of the Future
Author(s): Jon E. Burkhardt
Sponsoring organization: Community Transportation Association of America
Discusses how trends in aging and access to healthcare interact with funding programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, and the challenges they present.
Date: 2006
Metropolitan and Rural Transportation Planning: Case Studies and Checklists for Regional Collaboration
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Development Organizations
Provides case studies and checklists of possible actions that metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), rural transportation planning organizations (RPOs), state departments of transportation (DOTs), local government entities, and other planning partners may take to enhance their partnership efforts.
Date: 01 / 2009
Mode of Travel and Actual Distance Traveled for Medical or Dental Care by Rural and Urban Residents
Sponsoring organization: South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
Describes the cost and difficulty associated with travel for medical or dental care. This is a fact sheet, an executive summary and full report are also available.
Date: 2007
Mode of Travel and Actual Distance Traveled For Medical or Dental Care By Rural and Urban Residents: Executive Summary
Author(s): Janice C. Probst, Sarah B. Laditka, Jong-Yi Wang, Andy Johnson
Sponsoring organization: South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
Discusses the cost and difficulty associated with travel for medical or dental care, which may serve as a barrier for rural populations. The full report is available from the SC Rural Health Research Center at http://rhr.sph.sc.edu.
Date: 05 / 2006
Models of Rural Transportation for People with Disabilities: Rural Practice Guideline
Sponsoring organization: Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities
Describes five rural transportation model categories: public transit, agency-focused, cooperatives, volunteer/voucher, public-private partnerships, and personal ownership to help transportation providers begin to develop new programs in response to the "Safe, Accountable, Efficient, Flexible Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users" (SAFETEA-LU).
Date: 02 / 2007
National Symposium for Rural Transportation Planning Organizations and Metropolitan Planning Organizations: Assessing the Structure and Benefits of Collaboration
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Development Organizations
Documents a special event on the relationships among regional planning organizations, state and local government agencies, and stakeholder groups.
Date: 01 / 2011
National Transportation Statistics, 2011
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Transportation
Reports on various transportation statistics including the state of rural road and bridge conditions.
Date: 2011
Older Worker Employment Transportation Briefs: Forming Community Partnerships to Respond to Senior Employment Transportation Needs
Author(s): Pamela Friedman
Sponsoring organization: Community Transportation Association of America
Presents information about partnering opportunities and funding sources that can be used to facilitate transportation services to older adult workers traveling to and from rural or urban areas.
Date: 01 / 2008
Older Worker Employment Transportation Briefs: Strategies for Transportation Providers
Author(s): Pamela Friedman
Sponsoring organization: Community Transportation Association of America
Discusses the types of transportation challenges faced by older workers and outlines several strategies and model programs that transportation providers can adopt for their rural communities.
Date: 01 / 2008
Planning for Transportation in Rural Areas
Sponsoring organization: Federal Highway Administration
Provides information needed by rural planners, city and county engineers, stakeholders, local officials, and other decisionmakers involved with developing rural transportation plans. Includes a discussion of "rural," the variety of jurisdictions involved in rural transportation planning, including transit, samples of successful transportation planning, and a directory of national and state transportation-related websites.
Date: 07 / 2001
Profiles of Innovative Rural Vanpool Programs
Describes successful vanpool programs serving rural communities or commuters that have incorporated approaches such as: partnerships, outreach, and third-party operators to meet the needs of providers and participants.
Date: 06 / 2009
Public Transportation on the Move in Rural America
Author(s): Dennis M. Brown
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
Defines rural public transportation and discusses its usage and importance in rural areas. Examines the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) and its importance to rural America.
Date: 07 / 2008
Regional Approaches to Sustainable Development: Linking Economic, Transportation, and Environmental Infrastructure in Rural and Small Metropolitan America
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Development Organizations
Explores regional sustainable development initiatives in rural and small metropolitan America.
Date: 09 / 2011
Rethinking Federal Investments in Rural Transportation: Rural Considerations Regarding Reauthorization of the Surface Transportation Act
Author(s): Brian Dabson, Thomas G. Johnson, Charles W. Fluharty
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute
Report shows that a variety of transportation investments - including transit, vanpools, walking and biking paths, roads and highways - are critical to the economic development and well-being of our nation's smaller communities and rural areas.
Date: 04 / 2011
Rural Americans Strained by Transportation Costs: More Transportation Choice and Compact Development in Towns Could Reduce Cost Burden
Sponsoring organization: Center for Agricultural and Rural Development
Discusses how the unique transportation needs of small town and rural Americans are impacting the continued prosperity of these communities.
Date: 03 / 2010
Surface Transportation Authorization Act of 2009: A Blueprint for Investment and Reform (Executive Summary)
Author(s): James L. Oberstar, John L. Mica, Peter A. DeFazio, John J. Duncan, Jr.
Sponsoring organization: U.S. House of Representatives
Designed to transform the current transportation framework to one that is performance-based. Its goals are to: reduce fatalities and injuries on highways; reduce congestion in cities and on the freight transportation network; provide choices for commuters and travelers; limit the adverse effects of transportation on the environment; and
promote public health and the livability of our communities. Addresses the need for investment in rural transportation initiatives.
Date: 06 / 2009
Toolkit for Rural Community Coordinated Transportation Services
Author(s): Jon E. Burkhardt, Charles A. Nelson, Gail Murray, David Koffman
Sponsoring organization: Federal Transit Administration
Provides information, instructions, and lessons learned from rural communities that have implemented coordinated transportation services. Includes details on who needs to be involved in coordinated transportation, how it operates, and it’s benefits.
Date: 08 / 2004
Traffic Safety Facts 2009
Sponsoring organization: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Presents data of rural and urban motor vehicle crashes traffic fatalities, including EMS response times and fatal crashes.
Date: 2010
Traffic Safety Facts 2009 Data: Rural/Urban Comparison
Sponsoring organization: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Compares rural and urban statistics on motor vehicle fatal crashes based on data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS.) Data includes alcohol impairment, seat belt use, time of day, and state comparisons.
Date: 2011
Transportation 101: An Introduction to Federal Transportation Policy
Sponsoring organization: Transportation for America
Access an executive summary and full document about the history of federal transportation policy, plus current and future funding and policy initiatives affecting rural and urban areas.
Date: 03 / 2011
Transportation Challenges of Rural America: Testimony to the House Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development
Author(s): Dale J. Marsico
Sponsoring organization: Community Transportation Association of America
Describes the mission and programs of the Community Transportation Association of America, identifies issues associated with rural transportation, and recommends strategies for improvement.
Date: 03 / 2009
Transportation for America’s Veterans and Their Families
Sponsoring organization: Community Transportation Association of America
Describes challenges veterans face that affect their transportation options in rural and urban areas. Explains programs implemented in some areas that help them overcome the challenges.
Date: 11 / 2011
Transportation Innovations for Seniors: A Synopsis of Findings in Rural America
Author(s): Helen Kerschner
Sponsoring organization: Community Transportation Association of America
Discusses the context of senior
transportation in rural areas; identifies
transportation needs, services, challenges, and solutions; explores the concept, practice, and promotion of innovations within transportation
services.
Date: 07 / 2006
Transportation Prescription: Bold New Ideas for Healthy, Equitable Transportation Reform in America
Author(s): Judith Bell, Larry Cohen
Sponsoring organization: Healthy Eating Active Living Convergence Partnership
Identifies opportunities for creating transportation systems that promote health and equity in rural and urban communities.
Date: 2009
Transportation Project Prioritization and Performance-based Planning Efforts in Rural and Small Metropolitan Regions
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Development Organizations
Overview of the state of the practice in non-metro regional transportation planning, including the contract amounts, rural planning organizations (RPO) tasks, and committee structures.
Date: 09 / 2011
Transportation Section 5310: Where are we Going?
Author(s): Alexandra Enders
Sponsoring organization: Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities
Summarizes the current accessible transportation options for people with disabilities and provides recommendations for the future.
Date: 08 / 2011
Transportation Services for People with Disabilities in Rural and Small Urban Communities (Summary Report)
Sponsoring organization: Easter Seals Project ACTION
Summarizes a report that identifies challenges in meeting the transportation needs of people with disabilities in rural and small urban areas, then offers innovative and effective solutions through case studies.
Date: 08 / 2006
Transportation Use and Options of Midlife and Older Adults
Author(s): Teresa Leenan
Sponsoring organization: AARP
Findings from a survey of urban and rural adults 50 and older regarding public and personal transportation.
Date: 07 / 2010
Journals
Community Transportation Magazine
The magazine that covers the field of public and community transportation service, and the people and communities it serves.
NADO Rural Transportation Newsletter
Offers articles, news, and events related to rural transportation. This is a quarterly publication.
Rural Monitor: Transportation
Fall 2006 issue is devoted to rural transportation. Includes examples of transportation programs, and finding funds for rural transportation.
Rural Safety News
Electronic newsletter from the Center for Excellence (CERS) in Rural Safety. Provides the latest research and resources concerning rural safety.
Organizations
American Public Transportation Association (APTA)
National organization
Serves as the national, nonprofit trade association representing the public transit industry. APTA members include public transit systems, state and local departments of transportation and planning agencies, manufacturers and suppliers of transit equipment, consultants, contractors and universities.
Angel Flight West
Nonprofit/Foundation
Offers free, non-emergency air transportation to medical treatment for people who cannot afford public transportation, or who cannot tolerate it for health reasons. Available only in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. For longer flights or flights originating in other regions, go to the Angel Flight America National Patient Travel Center Web Site.
Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living: Rural Transportation (APRIL)
National organization
Works to develop policies to promote universally accessible rural transportation for people with disabilities.
Center for Excellence in Rural Safety (CERS)
National organization
Provides citizen-centered research, training, and outreach to enhance rural safety and to meet the online and seminar training needs of rural transportation practitioners and policymakers. Research activities explore policy, behavior, and technology approaches, such as projects addressing safety-conscious planning, ITS and rural emergency response, integrated policy approaches, and related human factors, societal trends, and stakeholder needs analysis.
Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA)
National organization
Provides a wide variety of information on economic development, financing, technical assistance, and a resource depot of publications. Current and future issues of rural and urban public and community transportation are a concern of the CTAA.
Federal Highway Administration
Federal government
Charged with the responsibility of ensuring that America's roads and highways continue to be the safest and most technologically up-to-date. Part of the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
Federal government
Administers grant programs to serve local communities throughout the United States by ensuring non-discriminatory, equitable, accessible, and safe public transportation for all Americans.
Local Technical Assistance Program and Tribal Technical Assistance Program (LTAP/TTAP)
State/regional organization
Composed of a network of 58 Centers - one in every state, Puerto Rico, and regional Centers serving tribal governments - that help improve their communities' roads and bridges by supplying them with training programs, an information clearinghouse, new and existing technology updates, personalized technical assistance, and newsletters.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
Federal government
Works to reduce deaths, injuries and economic losses resulting from motor vehicle crashes. Part of the U.S. Department of Transportation.
National Patient Travel Center (NPTC)
National organization
Works to help patients access charitable medical air transportation resources in the United States. Call 1-800-296-1217 for assistance.
National Resource Center for Human Service Transportation (NRC)
National organization
Provides technical assistance to improve transportation services and coordination.
Office of Community Services (OCS)
Federal government
Works in partnership with states, communities, and other agencies to provide a range of human and economic development services and activities in order to reduce the causes and the characteristics of poverty and to assist persons in need.
Partners for Rural America (PRA)
National organization
Serves as the national association of State Rural Development Councils (SRDC’s.) Operates in 37 states. Works to expand economic and social opportunities in rural communities, promote equal treatment by government agencies and the private sector, and provide a collective voice for rural America. Includes a listing of all state rural development councils.
Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities (RTC)
Academic/Research
Conducts research on issues of access to transportation and housing, employment and self-employment, independent living services, health and wellness facilities, and inclusion in community planning and activities of people with disabilities. Provides information and training to rural communities on disabilities.
Transportation for America
National organization
Coalition of housing, business, environmental, public health, transportation, equitable development, and other organizations seeking to align national, state, and local transportation policies with issues like economic opportunity, climate change, energy security, health, housing and community development.
Transportation Planning Capacity Building Program (TPCB)
Federal government
Provides training, technical assistance, and other support for State, local, regional, and Tribal governments, transit operators, and community leaders. Their site offers a library of resources related to rural and small communities.
Transportation Research Board (TRB)
Academic/Research
Promotes innovation and progress in transportation by stimulating and conducting research, facilitating the dissemination of information, and encouraging the implementation of research results.
Terms & Acronyms
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) A civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in the areas of employment, transportation, telecommunications, and public accommodation.
Bus (Motorbus) A rubber-tired, self-propelled, manually-steered vehicle with fuel supply carried on board the vehicle.
Bus, Charter A bus transporting a group of persons who, pursuant to a common purpose, and under a single contract at a fixed price, have acquired the exclusive use of a bus to travel together under an itinerary.
Bus, Express A bus that operates a portion of the route without stops or with a limited number of stops.
Bus, Feeder A bus service that picks up and delivers passengers to a rail rapid transit station or express bus stop or terminal.
Bus, Medium-size A bus from 29 to 34 feet in length.
Bus, Small A bus 28 feet or less in length.
Bus, Standard-size A bus from 35 to 41 feet in length.
Bus, Suburban A bus with front doors only, normally with high-backed seats, and without luggage compartments or restroom facilities for use in longer-distance service with relatively few stops.
Bus, Transit A bus with front and center doors, normally with a rear-mounted engine, low-back seating, and without luggage compartments or restroom facilities for use in frequent-stop service.
Demand Responsive Non-fixed-route service utilizing vans or buses with passengers boarding and alighting at pre-arranged times at any location within the system's service area. Also called "Dial-a-Ride."
Dial-a-Ride See "Demand Responsive."
Fixed Route Service provided on a repetitive, fixed-schedule basis along a specific route with vehicles stopping to pick up and deliver passengers to specific locations; each fixed-route trip serves the same origins and destinations, unlike demand responsive and taxicabs.
Flexroute Transit route that combines aspects of a fixed route with paratransit.
Human Service Transportation The basic, day-to-day mobility needs of
transportation-disadvantaged populations, especially individuals with low-incomes, people with disabilities, and older Americans.
Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) A transportation system that provides the preparedness, response and recovery tools necessary in safeguarding the U.S. transportation system against various threats. Often developed by regional development organizations these plans and systems designate alternate routes in emergency situations, disseminate up-to-the-minute information about the state of a region's transportation system and identify vulnerabilities to U.S. transit systems.
Intermodal Those issues or activities which involve or affect more than one mode of transportation (automobile, transit, ship, bicycle and walking), including transportation connections, choices, cooperation and coordination of various modes. Also known as "multimodal."
Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) The legislation that preceded TEA-21.
JARC (Job Access and Reverse Commute Program) Designed to serve low-income individuals and families. Provides transportation assistance to urban and rural residents who commute to jobs in suburban communities, by subsidizing the cost of the commute, providing transportation services or facilitating the provision of mass transit services to suburban employment opportunities. Funds are appropriated through TEA-21.
Model An analytical tool (often mathematical) used by transportation planners to assist in making forecasts of land use, economic activity, travel activity and their effects on the quality of resources such as land, air and water.
Multimodal Refers to the availability of multiple transportation options, especially within a system or corridor. A concept embraced in ISTEA, a multimodal approach to transportation planning focuses on the most efficient way of getting people or goods from place to place, be it by truck, train, bicycle, automobile, airplane, bus, boat, foot or even a computer modem.
Paratransit Comparable transportation service required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for people with disabilities who are unable to use fixed-route transportation systems.
Ridership The number of rides taken by people using a public transportation system in a given time period.
Ridesharing A form of transportation, other than public transit, in which more than one person shares the use of the vehicle, such as a van or car, to make a trip. Also known as "carpooling" or "vanpooling."
RPO (Regional Planning Organization) RPOs are responsible for conducting planning activities for specific geographic areas within the state. RPOs assist the municipalities with planning and administrative services and provide a forum for inter-municipal concerns and representation in relating to state and federal programs.
Shuttle A public or private vehicle that travels back and forth over a particular route, especially a short route or one that provides connections between transportation systems, employment centers, etc.
Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) TEA-21 authorized over $200 billion to improve the nation's transportation infrastructure, enhance economic growth and protect the environment. A wide array of environmental and water quality improvement projects were eligible for TE funding, including pollution abatement and mitigation projects.
Vanpool An arrangement in which a group of passengers share the use and cost of a van in traveling to and from pre-arranged destinations together.
Zone Fares A system of fares where a transit system's service area is divided into zones within which specified rates or fares apply.
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