LOW COST PLANNING TECHNIQUES FOR ASSESSING RURAL TRANSPORTATION NEEDS

Economic conditions in many areas of the county have forced severe budget cuts for many government services. This is especially true in rural areas, where local governments have been forced to examine critically the types and extent of services they provide. Two services being examined carefully are public and social agency transportation services. Some recent experiences are presented for planning public transportation services in a rural, four-county region in North Central Wisconsin (which currently has little public transit). The counties involved are all experiencing budget cuts and, thus, an initiation of public transit services was being considered within the context of rising costs shrinking budgets, and skeptical local politicians. Although basic conditions in the area are not unusual, this planning process was unique in that (a) a service was planned that will require no local government subsidy, (b) agency transportation services were considered as an integral part of the regional public transit service, and (c) transit services were tailored to the origin and destination densities of the local area being served. The final plan involved opening up agency services to the public and charging a fare, establishing a carpool/vanpool program, and establishing a subscription bus service. Some general observations concerning rural public transportation today are also drawn from the project.

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1983/936/936-012.pdf
• Summary URL:
  • https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=LOW+COST+PLANNING+TECHNIQUES+FOR+ASSESSING+RURAL+TRANSPORTATION+NEEDS&author=H.+Worthington&publication_year=1983
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309036526
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Rural Public Transportation.
• Authors:
  • Worthington, Hannah
• Publication Date: 1983

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 55-60
• Monograph Title: Public transportation and transit operations planning
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 936
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Finance; Financing; Land use; Needs assessment; Planning; Politics; Rural areas; Social factors; Strategic planning
• Geographic Terms: Wisconsin
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Finance; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Society; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00387639
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309036526
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Sep 28 1984 12:00AM