Funding for Rural Transit Down in Minnesota while Demand is on the Rise

Minnesota Public Radio reporter Dan Olson recently chronicled the struggles being faced by rural transit providers. The story is specific to Minnesota, but likely familiar to others across the country. He reports that demand for service has been increasing due to an aging population and an increase in the number of people unable to afford a personal vehicle. At the same time, however, funding for rural transit services is down. He writes:

No shortage of demand but a definite shortage of money. Already Mn/DOT has cut $400,000 to rural transit providers. Another cut of a million and half dollars is on the horizon.

The cuts take a toll on public transit providers and also some private nonprofits who get state transportation grants.

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.

Rural Transit Technology Course to be Held in Sacramento

SURTC and the National Transit Institute are hosting the course Implementing Rural Transit Technology September 29-30 in Sacramento, CA.