Transit and Small Urban Sprawl

The Small Urban & Rural Transit Center has released a report pertaining to transit issues resulting from small urban sprawl. Sprawl has traditionally been studied from a large metropolitan area perspective, but small urban areas throughout the country have been affected as well. The report, entitled Transit and Small Urban Sprawl, highlights steps small urban transit providers are currently taking to integrate transit service into sprawling communities, and helps determine what can be done to improve relationships with local governments during the land development planning process.

Questions related to the report or the research as a whole should be directed to Del Peterson who can be reached by email at del.peterson@ndsu.edu.

Transportation Survey for People with Disabilities in North Dakota

The Small Urban & Rural Transit Center, with the support of the North Dakota Disabilities Advocacy Consortium, is conducting a research project on the transportation needs of people with disabilities in North Dakota. The goal is to find out about existing and needed transportation for people with disabilities in the state. Results from the study can be used by public and private transportation providers and human service agencies to review their existing transportation services, identify gaps and needs, and plan improvements. If you live in North Dakota and have a disability, you are invited to take the survey.

Click here to take the survey.

Solutions Summit: Public Transportation Workforce Development

The Small Urban and Rural Transit Center recently held a public transportation workforce development summit in Fargo, ND. Participants included current transit professionals from all around the country, representatives from higher educational institutions, and current undergraduate and graduate students. Breakout sessions focused on internships, higher education, and workforce retention.

Transportation Seminar: Developing a Long-Range Transportation Plan

A Transportation Seminar on developing long-range transportation plans will be held Oct. 20, 2009, at 1:00 p.m. in Room 422 of the IACC building on the North Dakota State University campus.  The seminar will discuss the role of long-range transportation plans, the planning process, and their role in ensuring the efficient and effective expenditure of public dollars.

Seminar on How to Conduct a Review of a Peer-Reviewed Journal Article

A Transportation Seminar titled "How to Conduct a Review of a Peer-Reviewed Journal Article" will be held Oct. 13, 2009 at 1:00 p.m. in Room 422 of the IACC building on the North Dakota State University campus.  In this seminar, attendees will be presented with an overview of the peer review process, the role and responsibility of peer reviewers, as well as tips and considerations to ensure that reviews are done well.

Tool for Rural Transit Agency Peer Comparison Developed

The Small Urban & Rural Transit Center recently released a report that classifies rural and small urban transit agencies.  Using data from the Rural National Transit Database, each subrecipient of  Section 5311 funding that reported adequate information was classified by type of service, vehicle-miles, vehicle hours, and fleet size.   Rural and small urban transit agencies can use this information to compare their to performance with that of their peers.  Findings from the report, entitled Classifying Rural and Small Urban Transit Agencies, can also be used for other advanced analysis.

Questions on the report and its use in peer comparison should be directed to David Ripplinger, author of the report, who can be reached by phone at 701-231-5265 or by email at david.ripplinger@ndsu.edu.

Rural Transit Technology Course to be Presented in Wisconsin and New York

SURTC in partnership with the National Transit Institute is presenting the course Implementing Rural Transit Technology October 28-29 in Wisconsin Rapids, WI, and December 1-2 in Schenectady, NY.

The course presents a structured approach for planning, implementing, and evaluating rural transit projects to help ensure that agency needs and expectations are met.

Senate Votes to Extend Transportation Funding

The U.S. Senate has voted to extend funding for surface transportation programs until the end of October. The bill would maintain most agency spending at current levels. The House passed a three-month extension of the transportation funding last week. Read more about the story in an article in Logistics Management.

Transportation Seminar on Transit and Small Urban Sprawl

A Transportation Seminar titled “Transit and Small Urban Sprawl” will be held Sept. 29, 2009 at 1:00 p.m. in Room 422 of the IACC building on the North Dakota State University campus.

Small urban sprawl has resulted in new housing developments and business centers that have never been served by transit. Unfortunately, transit agencies are often not included in the land development process within small urban communities.  SURTC researcher Del Peterson recently studied the issue and will present his findings.  The objectives of his study were to determine what steps small urban transit providers are currently taking to integrate transit service into sprawling communities and to determine what can be done to improve relationships with local governments during the land development planning process.

Small Urban and Rural Transit Roundup

The Leader Times newspaper of Kittanning, Pennsylvania recently chronicled the financial difficulties of Town and Country Transit, a rural Pennsylvania transit system. The story provides some lessons for those who want to avoid similar problems. (Leader Times)

A free transit service in northern Idaho is thriving under a unique partnership between the local tribe and local governments. (Spokesman-Review)

Agriculture Secretary Vilsack announced $4 million in economic development funding for Native American communities, including funding for rural transportation improvements. (USDA)

Public transportation workers are taking steps to try to control the spread of the H1N1 virus. (WMUR)

Local leaders discussed possibilities for funding improvements in rural transit in Arizona. (Sierra Vista Herald)