NADO Associate Director provided a presentation on rural trends and rural, regional transportation planning at the 2019 Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting.

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Rural U.S. Characteristics and
Regional Rural Transportation Planning
TRB Annual Meeting 2019
Carrie Kissel, National Association of Development
Organizations Research Foundation

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About NADO
 National association for 540 regional development
organizations, including emerging network of Rural
Transportation Planning Organizations (RTPOs or RPOs)
 Promote public policies that strengthen local governments,
communities and economies through the regional strategies,
coordination efforts and program expertise of the nation’s
regional development organizations

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About NADO
 Through the NADO Research Foundation, develop training and
resources related to:
• Rural/small metro transportation planning, RPO America
• Small business finance
• Economic development planning
• Regional resiliency
• Developing quality of place

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5Slide source: David Beurle, Future IQ

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Rural Population Characteristics
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Aging Rural Places
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Rural Migration
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Increasing Rural Diversity
• Rural minorities are 22% of the population in 2017 (compared to
42% in urban areas), but diversity is increasing. USDA ERS: Rural
America At-a-Glance 2018
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Rural County Economy Types
1976 nonmetro counties (of 3143 total U.S. counties). Each county has one economy type.
Source: USDA ERS County Typology 2015
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Farming
20%
Mining
9%
Manufacturing
18%Fed/State
12%
Recreation
11%
Nonspecialized
30%

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Farming Dependent
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Mining Dependent

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Manufacturing
Dependent
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Fed/State Gov’t
Dependent

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Recreation
Dependent
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Nonspecialized

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County Policy Types
Counties may have more than one policy type or no policy type. Source: USDA ERS County Typology 2015
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0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
Low Education Low Employment Persistent Poverty Persistent Child
Poverty
Population Loss Retirement
Destination

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Low Employment
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Low Education

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Rural Unemployment
• Rural unemployment rates have been similar to metro rates,
at the national level
• 2010
– Rural: 10.3% peak
– Urban: 9.9% peak
• 2017
– Rural: 4.4%
– Urban: 4.1%
– Source: USDA ERS Rural America At-a-Glance 2018
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Rural Employment
• But employment trends vary
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Source: USDA ERS Rural America At-a-Glance 2018

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Rural Poverty
• Rural poverty occurs at higher rates than urban poverty
– Rural: 16.4% in 2017 (down from 30-yr peak of 18.4% in 2013)
– Urban: 12.9% in 2017
• Rural racial/ethnic minorities had the highest poverty rates
– 2017: black 32%, Native American 31%, Hispanics 24.5%
– Poverty among whites was 13.5%, but whites made up 80
percent of the rural poor in 2017.
Source: USDA ERS, Rural America At-a-Glance 2018
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Rural Transportation Priorities
• Regional planning and development organizations (which
serve local governments and residents) report their top
transportation priorities are:
– Preservation and maintenance of existing facilities/service
– Economic development/economic resilience
– Safety
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Regional Transportation Planning Models

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How Did We Get Here?
• ISTEA (1991)
– Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act
• TEA-21 (1998)
– Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century
• SAFETEA-LU (2005)
– Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users
• 2003 FHWA/FTA planning regulations were adopted implementing language
on rural planning and state-local consultation. (4-year process)
• Same language used in 2007 regulations
• In essence requires meaningful input by local officials in the transportation
planning process/decision making—separate from public outreach efforts

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MAP-21 & FAST Act RTPOs
• Structure: policy committee, fiscal agent
• Basic regional planning, TA duties outlined
• State outreach to local officials separate from public outreach
• States:
– “Cooperate” with RTPOs on LRTP
– “Consult” with RTPOs on Interstate, Bridge, NHS, 5310, 5311
projects in STIP
– “Cooperate” with RTPOs on other projects in STIP for areas with a
population under 50,000
– “Consult” with RTPOs on Strategic Highway Safety Plan
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Typical RTPO Tasks

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Required RTPO Tasks
More tasks:
Participate
in planning/
policy
process
Foster
coordination
of existing
plans
Share plans
with
neighbors
Other

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Resources for Regional Planning

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Connect with NADO
Carrie Kissel, Associate Director
ckissel@nado.org | 202.643.9560
Visit us online: www.NADO.org
www.RuralTransportation.org | www.CEDScentral.com
In-person events:
National Regional Transportation Conference, 6/17 – 19, 2019,
Columbus, OH
NADO Annual Training Conference, 10/19 - 22, 2019, Reno, NV
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