Rural and Small Community Transportation Planning

Rural transportation planning is the process of examining travel and transportation issues and needs in non-metropolitan areas. It includes a demographic analysis of the community in question, as well as an examination of travel patterns and trends. The planning process includes an analysis of alternatives to meet projected future demands, and for providing a safe and efficient transportation system that meets mobility while not creating adverse impacts to the environment. In metropolitan areas over 50,000 people, the responsibility for transportation planning lies with designated Metropolitan Planning Organizations; in small communities and rural areas there is no federally designated body to do transportation planning. In some states, planning for these areas is undertaken by the State Department of Transportation. In other states these functions are performed by Rural Planning Organizations or local governments.

The Transportation Planning Capacity Building (TPCB) Rural and Small Community Planning Resources page offers rural and small community transportation planning professionals legislative, regulatory, and general guidance; technical resources; and relevant links to address rural and small community transportation planning issues.

Please click on the links below to access the rural and small community transportation planning resources:

Related Topics

1. Legislation, Regulations, and Guidance
2. Consultation and Coordination
   • Non-Metropolitan Local Officials Consultation - The webpage describes the role of non-metropolitan local officials in the statewide transportation planning process.
   • St Louis Non-Metropolitan Local Official Consultation Workshop - AASHTO, with support from the FHWA, sponsored a workshop to discuss experiences and suggestions on implementing a Final Rule on Non-Metropolitan Local Consultation. This report provides a preliminary overview of the workshop proceedings.
   • Understanding the Communications and Information Needs of Elected Officials for Transportation Planning and Operations - (Word) The objective of this document is to enhance FHWA's communications capabilities and approaches with local elected officials (as well as senior appointed officials), with an emphasis on the linkages between transportation planning and transportation systems management and operations.

Technical Resources
Find rural and small community transportation planning technical resources including publications, case studies, data needs and the "Briefing Notebook for Transportation Decisionmakers."

1. Publications
2. Case Studies
3. Rural Data Needs
4. Briefing Notebook for Transportation Decisionmakers

Related Sites
Use the resource index to view all websites related to rural and small community transportation planning. Listed below is a sampling of these websites.

1. National Rural Development Partnership (NRDP) - A multi-faceted organization bringing together partners from all levels of government as well as private for profit and non-profit organizations to address the needs of rural America.
2. The Rural Information Center (RIC) - Contains over 3,000 links to current and reliable information on a wide variety of rural resources and funding sources, including RIC's Database,Federal Funding Sources for Rural Areas Database.
3. RuralTransportation.org - Developed under partnership between the National Association of Counties (NACo) and the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) is a web-based resource tool for rural transportation stakeholders, including local elected officials and regional development professionals.
4. Rural Transportation Tool Box - Part of a partnership between the US Department of Agriculture and the U.S. DOT concerning long-term agricultural transportation, rural passenger and freight mobility challenges.
5. USDA Economic Research Service Briefing Rooms - Each Briefing Room offers an in-depth discussion synthesizing ERS research and the economic issues that frame the analysis. Also included are recent ERS research developments, readings and data, questions and answers, and a collection of other ERS products and services addressing the issue. There is a wealth of valuable information for anyone working in rural and small communities.
6. World Bank: Rural Transport Group - The mission of the Rural Transport group is to improve the effectiveness and sustainability of rural transport investments by harnessing the knowledge of transport professionals and exploiting synergies through strategic networking with related groups' professionals.