Dr. Hough Quoted in NPR Story on Gas Prices and Rural Transit

SURTC Director Dr. Jill Hough was quoted in this story from National Public Radio on the impact of higher gas prices on rural transit: Gas Prices Force More People To Take Rural Transit.

A First-Hand Account of TCRP's International Transit Studies Program

Brenda Schweitzer, Executive Director of Brookings Area Transit Authority in Brookings, SD, recently spent several days visiting transit systems around the world with a group of transit professionals from the United States. The trip was part of the Transit Cooperative Research Program’s (TCRP’s) International Transit Studies Program (ITSP).

Schweitzer was nominated and selected to participate in the fall 2010 Transportation Mission Study, “Public Transportation Systems as the Foundation for Economic Growth.” The trip took her and her group to Istanbul, Turkey; Cairo, Egypt; and Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa. They toured the transit operations in these cities and studied how local investments are linked to economic growth.

The participants will now compile their notes in preparation of their mission report. Of her experience, Brenda wrote:

“Throughout the world, transportation is a major part of society, bringing social, economic and environmental values to light. I look forward to bringing this gained knowledge to my system and the rural areas we serve. We can appreciate the sparse populations we work with, as well as the cohesive working relationships we have with the federal, state and local funding sources.”

To learn more about the transit systems in these cities and Brenda's experiences, read the following article she wrote about her trip: Brenda Schweitzer's International Trip

NDSU President Speaks about Transit

President Joseph Chapman spoke about the importance of transit in the growth and success of North Dakota State University during his keynote speech on September 21 at the 2009 Dakota Transit Association Fall Conference in Fargo.

Metro Area Transit is key a partner to NDSU which has seen its student body and downtown campus grow tremendously in the past decade. During the first eight days of service this fall, transit routes serving NDSU provided nearly 40,000 new trips.

Watch President Chapman' comments at Chapman DTA Keynote 2009 Pt. 1 and Chapman DTA Keynote 2009 Pt. 2.

SURTC Launches Blog

As SURTC strives to improve its outreach activities and provide a greater variety of valuable and current information in an accessible format, we announce the launching of our new blog. The intent of the blog is to facilitate the dissemination of information and dialogue on small urban and rural transit topics.

The blog will keep readers up-to-date on the training and research being conducted by SURTC staff.  In addition, the blog endeavors to be a valuable resource for news and information pertaining to the world of small urban and rural transit.  Expect to see posts about upcoming training, SURTC events, completed or ongoing research projects, industry news of significant events that impact small urban and rural transit, and anything else we would like to share with you.