Small towns, rural areas need strong transportation systems

Federal assistance required?

Steve Hawley, Mar 18, 10.

Small towns and rural areas across the United States will need effective transportation systems in coming years to spur economic development, according to Transportation for America (T4America).

T4America says it is working “to gather policy recommendations from key transportation practitioners, nonprofit advocates, service providers, and elected officials who serve small town and rural America.” The group also released a white paper entitled, “Principles for Improving Transportation Options in Rural and Small Town Communities.”

Small towns and rural areas face many challenges. “Long commutes, volatile energy prices, and shifting demographics all impact the prosperity of these communities,” said T4America co-chair John Robert Smith, former mayor of Meridian, Mississippi, in testimony before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. “Many small towns and rural areas lack the financial resources, planning capacity, or authority to implement solutions to their transportation needs. A bold new policy is needed at the federal level to meet those needs.”

T4America emphasizes six key policy areas:

  * Invest in Main Street to link public transit, passenger rail, high-speed rail, commercial air service and intercity buses. These intercity transportation networks will create local hubs and generate millions of dollars in private economic development to preserve and revitalize small town main streets across the country.
  * Empower Local Communities through institutional reforms to ensure residents and leaders of small towns and rural communities are part of the decision-making process in finding solutions.
  * Improve the Conditions and Safety of our Transportation System by fixing our rural infrastructure and finding highway design solutions to correct dangerous conditions that threaten the safety of our people.
  * Invest in Public Transportation to meet the growing demand and need of an aging rural population that is increasingly reliant on local transit service.
  * Preserve and Create Livable Communities to enhance the economic competitiveness, historic character and heritage of small town America.
  * Move Goods Through Rural America with increased flexibility and investment in infrastructure such as rail, intermodal transfer points, and inland waterways to ensure that rural economies continue to be competitive in the 21st century global economy.

T4America white paper: Principles for Improving Transportation Options in Rural and Small Town Communities

(Photo credit: dystopos)

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