by LaStar Matthews

Four out of 10 rural residents live in communities with no public transportation. Another 28 percent live in communities with limited services, according to a March 2004 report by the Rural Assistance Center. These are just two of the transportation challenges in rural communities.

Other challenges include: many low-income residents do not know how to drive; lack a driver?s license; or simply don?t have the money to purchase and maintain a car.

The lack of transportation options limits the ability of many rural residents to find and keep jobs. It also limits their access to job training and other needed social services.

How can states and localities address the unique transportation needs of rural residents? One answer is by working through local Councils of Governments (COGs).

COGs, which often are responsible for regional transportation planning, can play a significant role in encouraging or enhancing cooperation among governments and agencies on these issues. In addition, COGs provide a forum for these governments to work on the issue with their counterparts in outlying rural communities.

For example, the West Alabama Regional Council (WARC) was selected by the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) to conduct a two-year pilot project that will develop a rural transportation planning program for West Alabama.

The WARC will establish the West Alabama Regional Planning Organization (RPO) to implement the program. The RPO will consist of three committees and include locally elected and appointed officials as well as ALDOT representatives. The RPO will provide rural local governments and their citizens a formal method of interaction with ALDOT. 

Ideas for Local and Regional Initiatives

States and localities can pursue many strategies to address the lack of access to transportation in rural communities.

For example, CommuteShare facilitates car sharing and carpooling.

Programs such as the Community Resource Group and the Automobile-Related Expense Program through the U.S. Department of Human Services provide low-interest loans to residents who might not otherwise be able to purchase or repair a car.

Localities and school districts also can collaborate with employers to use agency vehicles or school buses for public transportation when the vehicles or buses are not being used.

Other potential partnerships can be forged between employers and economic development agencies or community development corporations. Among the possible goals for these partnerships: leveraging local funds and designing programs that create transportation-related employment; train new workers; and provide transportation assistance.

Local governments also can work directly with employers to expand transportation opportunities for rural residents. An important first step is reminding employers that the federal tax code offers incentives to support the transportation needs of their employees.

Available Funding Sources

There are a number of funding sources available to support the development of rural transportation programs, including the following.

? Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) ? States can use TANF funds and state maintenance-of-effort funds to assist low-income working families with transportation, including funds to purchase or lease cars and cover insurance costs. The assistance is not limited to welfare recipients. See http://www.fta.dot.gov for more information.

? The Community Development Transportation Development Lending Services Fund ? Assists rural communities in improving and expanding local transportation services. See http://www.ctaa.org/transitfunding/vf.asp for more information.

? Surface Transportation Funds ? Provided through the Federal Highway Administra-tion, these funds can be used for public transportation capital projects, including vehicle purchase for vanpools. See http://www.dot.gov for more information.

? The Intermediary Lending Program ? A U.S. Department of Agriculture revolving fund program, it finances businesses and community development projects in rural towns and communities with populations of less than 25,000. Grants support transportation facilities, infrastructure improvements and the capital costs of transportation services. See http://www.sba.gov/ financing/microparticipants.html for more information.

? The Job Access and Reverse Commute (JARC) program ? Administered by the Federal Transit Administration, the program authorizes funds annually for a national competition to support new or expanded transportation services that connect parents on welfare and other low-income workers to jobs and employment-related services. See http://www.fta.dot. gov for more information.

The quality of life and the economy in rural America depend on effective and efficient transportation services for residents.

Working together with employers and other government entities at the regional and state levels, rural communities can use the transportation issue as an avenue to enhanced economic development and new opportunities for residents.