Rural Transportation Planning
Trends and Issues
with support from the Federal Highway Administration
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS
Carrie Kissel
National Association of Development Organizations
About NADO
 Promote public policies that strengthen local
governments, communities and economies
through the regional strategies, coordination
efforts and program expertise of the nation’s
regional development organizations
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 National association for 540 regional
development organizations, including emerging
network of Regional Transportation Planning
Organizations (RTPOs or RPOs)
Regional Development Organizations
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 Formed by state statute or executive order
 May be called: Council of Governments, Regional
Planning Commission, Economic Development
District
 Participate in/administer many state and federal
programs
• Economic Development
• Regional Planning
• Human Services
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About RPO America
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 Program affiliate of NADO
 Serves as the national professional association for
rural and small metro transportation planners
 National Rural Transportation Peer Learning
Conference
 www.RuralTransportation.org
Rural Transportation Newsletter
www.Facebook.com/RPOAmerica
Twitter @RPOAmerica
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What’s Happening in Rural
Transportation Planning?
Rural Planning Organization
• Communication is Essential
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• R-Relationships
• P-Priority
• O-One
How Did We Get Here?
– Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act
• TEA-21 (1998)
– Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century
• SAFETEA LU (2005)
– Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A
Legacy for Users
• 2003 FHWA/FTA planning regulations were adopted implementing
language on rural planning and state-local consultation. (4 year
process )
• Same language used in 2007 regulations
• In essence requires meaningful input by local officials in the
transportation planning process/decision making—separate from
public outreach efforts
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• ISTEA (1991)
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RTPO Governance Framework
– local elected officials or their designees, plus reps of
state, transportation providers, modal representatives,
& public
– Often same as “parent” COG/RPC board
• Technical committee
– to provide guidance and advice on practitioner-level
issues
– consider relationship with CEDS committee, including shared
membership and coordinating project identification and ranking
processes as appropriate
• Fiscal agent
– to serve as management, planning, and administrative
support (COG/RPC)
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• Policy board/committee
Typical RTPO Tasks
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• Be a general transportation resource
• Assist with traffic counts, parking counts, local
roads issues
• Convene local transit providers
• Convene local road managers
• Learn major state/fed program categories to
answer questions about what projects are eligible
or assist with grantwriting
• Joint purchasing opportunities
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Local Government Technical
Assistance
Facilitate Input in Statewide Plan
– One meeting for DOT staff to attend, rather than
separate outreach every jurisdiction
• Help DOT host regional local official forum, public
involvement forum
• Offer to assist with reviewing projects in the
pipeline:
– What’s changed at local level?
– What’s still a priority?
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• Invite DOT to participate in regional RTPO
board/committee meetings regularly
Develop Regional Priorities
– What can we agree on?
– What issues/projects are most important?
• Be realistic and strategic—may need to
focus on specific corridors or issues,
rather than needs of region’s entire
network
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• Help DOT to solicit project ideas for
available funds
• Develop regional priority list:
Connect State and Local Levels
– Assist with Context Sensitive Solutions
– Assist with outreach to businesses and facilities located
on affected routes
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• Local jurisdictions may not have extensive
planning and zoning, but they still have a sense of
community direction
• Where is development planned or desired? New
housing? New schools?
• Impact of those on transport network?
• If there are upcoming construction or service
change projects, how will they impact
communities?
General Transportation Challenges
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• Unpredictable funding levels
• Shrinking resources for planning and
construction
• Turnover—local officials, state officials, and
legislators
• Long-term horizon—benefit may not be
realized during term of office
RTPO Challenges
• No uniform work program
• Little, if any, financial authority
• Keeping local officials engaged and committed to
the process
• Lack of “buy-in” by: DOT, Elected Officials, staff
• Varying resources and capabilities among the
RTPOs: within state, between states
• Turf--Is there room in the sandbox?
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• Recognize limits•
--no national standards until
MAP-21, planning framework is voluntary
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What are RTPOs doing
about transit?
Work Program Elements
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• Ensure transit providers, interests are
aware of and invited to table
• Gather, prioritize 5311 applications
• Inventory existing services
• Mobility management
• Coordinated planning
• Assist providers with planning service
Emerging Issues and Themes
Increasing focus on mobility
Ability to convene partners
Relationships with human services entities
Access to regional data
Experience in data analysis, mapping,
database development
• Connections to economic trends
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GA: Transit Development Plans
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GDOT contracts with regional commissions to:
• Assist local governments with transit planning:
– Identify areas, populations of need
– Inventory, assess existing services
– Develop support organizations
– Present a plan or vision
– Obtain local support
GA: Transit Development Plans
• Organize and facilitate community meetings to
develop “transit development plans”
• Facilitate completion of environmental tasks for
transit earmark projects
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GDOT contracts with regional commissions to:
GA: Essential Elements of TDPs
Executive Summary
Demographic Analysis
Goals & Objectives
Performance Evaluation of Existing Service
Demand Estimation, Transit Needs Assessment
Transit Alternatives & Recommendations
Compliance with Federal & State Requirements
Five Year Capital and Operating Projections
Adoption of the Plan
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ADOT Uses 9 Planning
Regions to:
• Improve management of
existing assets
• AZ Institute 4 Coordination
• Strengthen Regional
Human Service
Coordination Plans
• Develop Coordination
Councils
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Arizona: Coordinated Planning
State Context
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Northern AZ: Projects Underway
NACOG
• COG AAA – NOMT
AAA
DTD
PROJECT
Senior
Center
• COG – MPO Senior Transportation
Network Development
• COG AAA – Para Transit Voucher
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• Sr. Cntr – Para Transit
NON EMERG
MEDICAL
Lowcountry COG & Partners (SC)
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Conditions for Coordination/ Consolidation:
• ONE well-established public transit service provider
• Large, sparsely settled area
• Many human service agencies discovering they do
not want to be in “transportation business”
• Purchase of Service contracts (with 5310 funding)
with the transit provider an important option
• Opportunities for sharing routes
• Potential for multiple funding sources
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SCDOT Coordination Plan 2007
• More service for medical appointments, urban
and rural
• Work trips—to Hilton Head Island, Bluffton,
within and between all of the COG counties
• Interregional medical trips (outside of COG
region Charleston, Savannah)
• General public transportation
• Retirees and other older people
• Youth (after school) transportation
• Fixed route/fixed schedule services
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Regional Transportation Needs
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Challenges Facing Agencies Met by 2013
through Consolidation √
1. Need to move away from 48-hour advanced
reservation; more spontaneous trips √
2. Cost of fuel
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2013 Service Consolidation:
SCDOT Coordination Plan 2007
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3. Need to upgrade vehicles, equipment √
4. Need for additional funding for expanded
services √
5. Implementation of a mechanism to centralize
transportation services, i.e., lacking a mobility
manager √
6. Need for technology to coordinate trips among
agencies, across jurisdictional lines √
7. Vehicle assets rapidly deteriorating √
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Service Consolidation:
SCDOT Coordination Plan 2007
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Evaluated Five Potential Structures/Strategies
1. Consolidated Structure: Nonprofit and public
agencies consolidate transportation into
Palmetto Breeze
2. Brokerage Structure: Palmetto Breeze brokers
trips to participating transportation providers,
operates public/coordinated transportation
3. Hybrid Structure: Some participating
organizations consolidate, others serve as
independent, contracted service providers
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CTAA/Lowcountry Plan 2012
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Evaluated Five Potential Structures/Strategies
4. Coordination: Shared use of vehicles, staff,
maintenance, training, grant writing
5. Information and Referral: Mobility Manager
continues to refer passengers, uses technology
to promote efficiency
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CTAA/Lowcountry Plan 2012
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• Contract with VPSI
• Target workforce living 10+ miles away,
those unable to conveniently use fixed-route
transit
• Provide service as groups are identified, with
the riders deciding where and when a route
operates
• Save costs for workers, promote productivity
for employers
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Coastal Regional Commission (GA):
Rural Commuter Vanpooling
Iowa: Rural Transit Planning
– Some housed in same parent org as transit
• Transit planning, coordination plans
• Emerging issues: connect workforce
development/employment transportation
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• Regional Planning Affiliations created postISTEA
• Most are co-terminus with regional transit
boundaries
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Thomas Jefferson PDC (VA)
- Six case studies in the region to focus on assessing the inclusiveness of
local ordinances, procedures and plans.
- A standardized assessment tool to identify gaps.
- A list of common barriers to meeting needs.
- Model language that localities can consider for adoption to address
those gaps
• Work also involves training and presentations to localities
and PDCs throughout the state.
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• The TJPDC received a grant from the Virginia Board of
People with Disabilities to develop and expand the use of
the Transportation Housing Alliance Toolkit.
• This funding focuses on 3 deliverables:
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Southwest RPC (NH): Rural TDM
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Public & private sector
Meeting since 2006
Advocacy, education, leadership
Role of transportation on economy, environment and
society
• Monadnock Region Transportation Management
Association
• Web-based toolkit
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Travel Demand Management Advocacy Group
Web-Based TDM Toolkit
• Accessible
• User friendly
• Diverse audience
• Residents/visitors
• Employers
• Educators
• Municipal officials
www.monadnocktma.org
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• Clearinghouse of information
Web-Based TDM Toolkit
Employer toolkit
Guide for municipalities
Materials for Educators and Schools
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Information on transportation options
Use regional partners to:
• Leverage investments: transportation
service supports changes in population,
land use, economic, and local quality of
place efforts
• Identify an area’s economic assets that
may be key service destinations
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RTPOs and State DOTs:
Opportunities for Transit Planning
Use regional partners to:
• Innovate in outreach, service delivery,
planning frameworks
• Partner with new organizations—major
employers? Community foundations?
Other local institutions?
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RTPOs and State DOTs:
Opportunities for Transit Planning
Additional Resources
www.RuralTransportation.org
Carrie Kissel
ckissel@nado.org
202.624.8829
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www.NADO.org
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Challenges for Rural Transit
Rural U.S. Population
– Total population: 308 Million
– Urban population: 249 Million (81%)
– Rural population: 59 Million (19%)
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• In 2010 Census:
Rural U.S. Population
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Rural U.S. Population Change
 Metro areas higher growth rate
 Some fast-growing non-metro areas
have been reclassified as metro
 Some fast-growing non-metro areas
have been absorbed into adjacent
metro areas
 Lower immigration
 Less “natural increase” of births
Source: USDA
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 Overall, rural areas lose ground to
urban areas over time
Rural U.S. Population: 1950-Now
90
Urban
80
Rural
70
60
50
Rural
40
Urban
30
20
10
0
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100
1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
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Rural/Urban Population Change:
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Focus on last decade
Population Change, 2000 – 2010
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Source: USDA
In fact…
Over half of all rural people live in
metropolitan counties!
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Most metropolitan areas contain rural
territory and rural people.
Rural Population
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2000 Census figures
Rural Population Dynamics
– 1970: 53 Million
– 2010: 59.5 Million
• But growth has been uneven, geographically:
– More growth in rural recreation, retirement,
amenity areas
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• Actual number of people living in rural areas
has increased, although % has decreased:
• And uneven in age groups
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Aging Population
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Future Growth of Older Adults
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Source: Global Aging
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Source: Daily Yonder
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Source: Daily Yonder
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Rural Diversity
• Source: Carsey Institute
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• Diversity accelerated in rural America, with
racial and ethnic minorities accounting for 83
percent of rural population growth between
2000 and 2010.
• Children are in the vanguard of the increasing
racial and ethnic diversity of rural America in the
twenty-first century.
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Rural Diversity
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Source: Carsey Institute
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Rural employment
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• 6.5% rural labor force in farming, 12.4%
manufacturing (8.4% manuf. in metro), but hurt
by globalization and recession (Carsey)
• During 2007-2009 Recession: 1 million jobs lost
in nonmetro (mostly manufacturing and
construction), 7.1 million in metro (USDA)
• However, over 2011, rural manufacturing has
rebounded with stronger job and income gains
than the nation as a whole (Kansas City Fed)
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Rural Unemployment
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Source: USDA
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Outmigration
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Source: USDA
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Rural Access to Health Care
– 2005: 17.3% urban, 17% rural
– 2010: 17.7% urban, 18.4% rural
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• Large metro counties have nearly four times as
many physicians per 100,000 residents as do
rural counties with only small towns
• Small rural counties have only one-sixth as many
specialists per 100,000 residents as do large
metropolitan areas. (Carsey)
• Percent of population under 65 without health
insurance (Daily Yonder)
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Rural Poverty
Source: Carsey Institute
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• Rural child poverty rates are higher than for urban
children of every racial and ethnic group and the
highest poverty rates are in the most rural places
• The gap between urban and rural child poverty
has widened since the late 1990s.
• 2006 percent receiving food assistance: 7.8%
total, 10.3% rural, 7.3% urban
• 2006 percent children receive free or reduced
school lunch: 31% rural, 25% urban
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Rural Broadband
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• About 19 million Americans still have no access
to high-speed Internet
• About 14.5 million of those without access live
in rural areas (5 percent of the total
population)
• Internet providers do not offer service because
"there is no business case to offer broadband”
• Source: FCC
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