Presentations from the Rural and Intercity Bus Conference Posted Online

Presentations from the 21st National Rural and Intercity Bus Transportation Conference are now available on the conference webpage (click on PowerPoint Presentations on the left-side menu). Included are the following presentations from SURTC staff:

Evaluating the State of Mobility Management and Human Service Transportation Coordination (pdf)

Improving Veteran Mobility in the Northern Plains: Connecting Veterans in Minnesota, Montana and North Dakota to VA Health Care Centers (pdf)

Cost Benefit Analysis of Rural and Small Urban Transit (pdf)

Research Report – Evaluating the State of Mobility Management and Human Service Transportation Coordination

A new report published by SURTC evaluates mobility management and human service transportation coordination efforts at different locations across the country and provides an evaluation model that can be used in individual communities. For this study, two surveys were developed and conducted at multiple sites across the country. An end-user survey was distributed to transit users, and a stakeholder survey was sent to transportation providers, human service agencies, and other organizations. The results can be used to assess the effectiveness of mobility management and coordination programs in meeting the needs of transportation-disadvantaged populations and achieving the goals of improved efficiency, ease of access, and quality of service. Results from the communities where surveys were conducted showed positive impacts from the perspectives of both transit users and stakeholders. The full report and executive summary can be found at the link below:

Evaluating the State of Mobility Management and Human Service Transportation Coordination

For more details, contact Jeremy Mattson at jeremy.w.mattson@ndsu.edu.

SURTC Participating at National Conference on Rural Public and Intercity Bus Transportation

SURTC staff will be attending and participating in next week's National Conference on Rural Public and Intercity Bus Transportation in Monterey, California. SURTC director Jill Hough, researchers Del Peterson, Jeremy Mattson, and Ranjit Godavarthy, and training coordinator Rob Lynch will each be giving presentations. Jill Hough and Del Peterson will also each be moderating a session, and Rob Lynch will be manning SURTC's booth at the vendor show. Del Peterson served on the conference's planning committee and will also be awarding the winners of the student paper competition. If you are attending the conference, be sure to stop by our booth and say hi or attend our sessions. Below is list of sessions in which SURTC staff are participating.

2014 Rural Transit Fact Book Published

SURTC has published its 2014 edition of the Rural Transit Fact Book. This publication is intended to serve as a national resource for statistics and information on rural transit in America. The Fact Book includes rural demographic and travel behavior data as well as financial, operating, and fleet statistics and performance measures for agencies receiving section 5311 funding. In addition to national level data, statistics are presented by state, FTA region, tribe, and mode, as well as other agency characteristics.

The Rural Transit Fact Book presents agency level data from the Rural National Transit Database (NTD) and rural demographic and travel data from the American Community Survey and the National Household Travel Survey.

The publication can be downloaded at the SURTC website. For more information, or if you are interested in receiving a hard copy, contact Jeremy Mattson (jeremy.w.mattson@ndsu.edu).

FTA 101 – Online Course

FTA 101 is a new online course designed to educate public transportation staff about federal programs, grant management, and the functions of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA).  SURTC developed the course for AASHTO's Multi-State Technical Assistance Program (MTAP). FTA 101 is free, and it provides an easy-to-follow curriculum that serves to inform or refresh new or seasoned staff on the role of the FTA in public transit. The course takes less than two hours to complete and can be paused between chapters.

Webinar Recordings Online: Veterans Transportation and Rural Transit Cost-Benefit Analysis

Recordings of recent webinars conducted by SURTC staff are available online. Del Peterson presented findings from his study on veterans transportation in a webinar on July 10. Earlier this year, Ranjit Godavarthy and Jeremy Mattson presented a webinar on their cost-benefit analysis research for small urban and rural transit. Both webinars were presented as part of the Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) webcast series. Recordings of the webinars can be found at the links below. Links to the full reports and executive summaries of the research are available on the SURTC website.

Webinar recordings:

• Veteran Mobility in Small Urban and Rural Areas
• Cost-Benefit Analysis of Rural and Small Urban Transit

Research Report – Cost-Benefit Analysis of Rural and Small Urban Transit

SURTC has published a report analyzing the costs and benefits of providing transit services in rural and small urban areas. The full report and an executive summary can be found at the following link:

Cost-Benefit Analysis of Rural and Small Urban Transit

This study focuses on the qualitative and quantitative benefits of small urban and rural public transit systems in the United States. First, a thorough review of previous literature is presented. Then, a framework is developed which focuses on three main areas of transit benefits most relevant to rural and small urban areas: transportation cost savings, low-cost mobility benefits, and economic development impacts. This study estimates the cost savings from using transit in place of alternative modes and the significant costs that would result from trips foregone in the absence of transit. Estimated benefits are compared to the costs of providing service to derive benefit-to-cost ratios. Results are presented nationally, regionally (FTA regions), and statewide. Sensitivity analysis is also conducted to illustrate how the benefits and benefit-cost ratios vary with changes in key variables. With estimated benefit-cost ratios greater than 1, the results show that the benefits provided by transit services in rural and small urban areas are greater than the costs of providing those services.

For more details, contact Ranjit Godavarthy at ranjitprasad.godavar@ndsu.edu or Jeremy Mattson at jeremy.w.mattson@ndsu.edu.

Research Report – Improving Veteran Mobility in Small Urban and Rural Areas

A recently completed SURTC study examined ways to improve veteran mobility in small urban and rural areas. The need for veteran transportation is growing rapidly because of the increasing number of older veterans and injured service men and women. Many veterans in rural areas have special mobility needs and must travel long distances to receive medical care. The objective of this study was to identify veterans with mobility needs currently living in rural Minnesota, Montana, and North Dakota, and to quantify the cost of transportation options for meeting their mobility needs. Special attention was given to the medical transportation of veterans to VA health care centers. The feasibility of a coordination effort between VA health care centers and rural public transit agencies for transporting veterans to medical appointments was also studied. A key finding is that transit agencies can increase ridership and VA health centers can lower beneficiary travel costs if they coordinate services. The study results can serve as a service planning tool for rural transit agencies. Lastly, this is an optimal time to begin talking about strategies for rural transit to transition aging veterans from personal vehicles to public transit.

Links to the full report and the executive summary can be found at the website below:

Improving Veteran Mobility in Small Urban and Rural Areas

For more details, contact Del Peterson at del.peterson@ndsu.edu

Upcoming Webcast: Veteran Mobility in Small Urban and Rural Areas

SURTC researcher Del Peterson will be presenting results from his veteran mobility research as part of the Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) webcast series. The webcast, titled "Veteran Mobility in Small Urban and Rural Areas," will be presented July 10 at 11:00 am central time.

The objective of this study was to identify veterans with mobility needs currently living in rural Minnesota, Montana, and North Dakota, and to quantify the cost of feasible transportation options for meeting veteran mobility needs. Special attention was given to the medical transportation of veterans to VA health care centers. This study included a survey of veterans and a simulation of their health care transportation costs.

SURTC at CTAA EXPO

SURTC staff will be participating in this year's Community Transportation EXPO, being held June 8-13 in St. Paul, MN. Jill Hough, SURTC director, will be presenting "Ethics in Decision Making," and SURTC researcher Del Peterson will be presenting results from a recent study on veterans transportation. Details about their presentations are below:

Speaker: Jill Hough
Presentation title: Ethics in Decision Making
Session: Professional Development Leadership Sessions
Date and time: Wed. June 11, 3:15 pm
Location: RiverCentre, Meeting Room 2

Speaker: Del Peterson
Presentation title: Improving Veteran Mobility in Small Urban and Rural Areas
Session: Veterans Mobility: How VTCLI Has Helped Us Serve our Veterans
Date and time: Wed. June 11, 3:15 pm
Location: RiverCentre, Meeting Room 12

SURTC will also have a booth at the EXPO. Stop by our booth and visit with Rob Lynch, SURTC's training coordinator, and other SURTC staff. Summaries of recent research projects and other SURTC material will be available.