Integrating School Transportation Resources Into Coordinated Rural Public Transportation Programs

This report will be of interest to managers of public transportation and school bus systems, transportation planning and operations professionals, policy makers, and others interested in the potential for coordinating or integrating school bus and public transportation services in non-urban areas. The report identifies and discusses issues associated with such coordination or integration, and provides 13 case studies of communities that have successfully coordinated or integrated some aspect of school and public transportation services. The report also provides an implementation guide that suggests "next steps" for non-urban communities seeking to give serious consideration to the coordination or integration of school and public transportation services.

"TRB's Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Report 101: Toolkit for Rural Community Coordinated Transportation Services examines strategies and practices used to coordinate rural transportation services, and identifies model processes used for local coordination efforts in rural communities. A stand-alone executive summary of the report provides information, instructions, and lessons learned from rural communities that have implemented coordinated transportation services"--Publisher's description.

This digest summarizes key findings of research performed under NCHRP Project 20-65, Task 42, Rural Public Transportation Strategies for Responding to the Livable and Sustainable Communities Initiative, by ICF International. For the study, ICF conducted a nationwide survey of state departments of transportation (DOTs) and their rural livability activities; conducted follow-up interviews about grants from the Partnership for Sustainable Communities (PSC); and created a primer highlighting strategies that state DOTs, transit operators, and their partners can use to help rural organizations applying for discretionary grant programs. The strategies discussed in the primer are: (1) Building awareness of PSC resources and livability in rural communities; (2) Providing programmatic and financial support; (3) Creating statewide or regional partnerships; and (4) Encouraging transit coordination at the regional level.

"TRB's Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Report 105: Strategies to Increase Coordination of Transportation Services for the Transportation Disadvantaged examines strategies for initiating or improving coordination of local and regional publicly funded transportation services for the transportation disadvantaged"--Publisher's description.

Identifies and describes proven, cost-effective, "low-tech" solutions for rural transportation-related problems or needs. Through a process of research and interviews with local level transportation professionals throughout the U.S., examples of technology applications which have been locally developed to meet local problems were identified and documented. Includes descriptions of benefits of the technology, the expected implementation process, the potential issues associated with technology, and each technology's role in larger scale, fully integrated rural transportation systems. Charts and tables. Photos.