New Research Projects Underway

SURCOM staff have begun a number of new research projects on topics such as food insecurity, workforce development, electric transit networks, and transit's role in improving health. Summaries and links to project descriptions are provided below.

Utilizing Public Transportation to End Food Insecurity in the Rural and Small Urban Area by Providing Better Access: A Case Study of Rural Counties in North Dakota – This study will investigate the impact of transportation accessibility on food insecurity in North Dakota. It will identify mobility gaps which affect food insecurity across the state and how improvements in public transportation can help. For more information, contact Dilip Mistry at dilip.mistry@ndsu.edu or Jill Hough at jill.hough@ndsu.edu.

Ranking Public Transportation Services for Rural States in the Upper Midwest and Great Plains Region – The objective of this research is to compare the level of public transportation services provided in North Dakota to those of surrounding states. This involves an analysis of the level of service provided, the amount of service used, and measures that evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of service. The analysis also considers the varying levels of need throughout the region. For more information, contact Jeremy Mattson at jeremy.w.mattson@ndsu.edu.

Rural Transit Workforce Development and Succession Planning – This study will address succession planning and recruiting, developing, and retaining rural transit managers, and it will also focus on current workforce shortages, particularly the lack of drivers in many rural areas. For more information, contact Del Peterson at del.peterson@ndsu.edu.

Designing an Electric Transit Bus Network – This study examines different approaches for designing an optimal network for electric transit buses. For more information, contact Jeremy Mattson at jeremy.w.mattson@ndsu.edu.

Impacts of Transit on Health in Rural and Small Urban Areas – Objectives of this research are to review the literature on the health benefits of transit, describe the ways that transit can impact health in rural and small urban areas, and develop methods and data collection procedures for estimating the health benefits of transit. For more information, contact Jeremy Mattson at jeremy.w.mattson@ndsu.edu.