Best Practices to Enhance the Transportation-Land Use Connection in the Rural United States (2007)

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TRANSPORTAT ION RESEARCH BOARD WASHINGTON, D.C. 2007 www.TRB.org N A T I O N A L C O O P E R A T I V E H I G H W A Y R E S E A R C H P R O G R A M NCHRP REPORT 582 Subject Areas Planning and Administration Best Practices to Enhance the Transportation–Land Use Connection in the Rural United States Hannah Twaddell RENAISSANCE PLANNING GROUP Charlottesville, VA A N D Dan Emerine INTERNATIONAL CITY/COUNTY MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION Washington, DC Research sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration

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CRP STAFF FOR NCHRP REPORT 582 Christopher W. Jenks, Director, Cooperative Research Programs Crawford F. Jencks, Deputy Director, Cooperative Research Programs Christopher J. Hedges, Senior Program Officer Eileen P. Delaney, Director of Publications Hilary Freer, Senior Editor NCHRP PROJECT 8-52 PANEL Field of Transportation Planning—Area of Forecasting Shelley S. Mastran, Reston, VA (Chair) George Smith, California DOT, Sacramento, CA David Boyd, MSA Professional Services, Madison, WI Charles R. Carr, Mississippi DOT, Jackson, MS Stephen Hoesel, Fort Dodge, IA Polly A. McMurtry, Vermont Agency of Transportation, Montpelier, VT Rosemary Monahan, US Environmental Protection Agency, Boston, MA Melisa D. Montemayor, Texas DOT, Laredo, TX David W. Sears, US Department of Agriculture, Bethesda, MD Elizabeth Fischer, FHWA Liaison Kimberly Fisher, TRB Liaison C O O P E R A T I V E R E S E A R C H P R O G R A M S

This report presents guidance on how best to integrate land use and transportation in rural communities. The study highlights programs and investment strategies that support community development and livability while providing adequate transportation capacity. The research consisted of an extensive review of current literature; a series of focus group discussions with community, tribal, and transportation agency staff and officials; and a sur- vey aimed at a cross section of rural transportation planners. The research identified key principles for successful land use and transportation integration and outlines specific approaches suitable to a range of rural community types. This report will be useful to trans- portation planners and decisionmakers who deal with land use and transportation issues in rural communities. Rural communities throughout the United States are facing a wide and complex range of challenges that both affect and are affected by the transportation system. These include eco- nomic shifts away from traditional employment in local farming and manufacturing toward industries such as agribusiness and tourism; changing demographics such as rising percent- ages of elderly residents or new levels of racial and ethnic diversity; rapid growth in some rural areas and population decline in others; and a lack of adequate capacity and/or com- mitment to engage the public in transportation and land use planning. These trends are fur- ther complicated by funding challenges associated with operating, maintaining, and build- ing transportation infrastructure. Although urban areas may be facing many of the same or similar issues, the presence of such challenges in a rural setting poses a unique set of circumstances that requires a dis- tinctly different approach. Although abundant research findings exist on strategies and measures to address the effects of growth and development on transportation systems and services in urban and metropolitan areas, there has been little corresponding research to address how rural communities can work with transportation agencies to set and reach mutual goals for livability and mobility. Under NCHRP Project 08-52, a research team led by Hannah Twaddell of Renaissance Planning Group and Dan Emerine of the International City/County Management Associa- tion undertook this study to identify (1) common problems related to rural transportation systems and (2) measures to address these problems by enhancing the transportation–land use connection. The report highlights programs that support rural development and land use strategies that maximize transportation capacity as well as community livability. The research team identified three distinct types of rural communities that can particu- larly benefit from integrated land use and transportation planning: exurban communities on the fringes of metropolitan centers; destination communities that are attracting tourists F O R E W O R D By Christopher J. Hedges Staff Officer Transportation Research Board

and new residents; and production communities that are struggling with the decline of their key industries. Strategies to address the problems faced by these various types of communi- ties are organized in three major categories: setting a regional framework for development; improving accessibility to targeted activity centers; and enhancing community design. The report also highlights elements common to successful communities, including col- laborative (often regional) partnerships; an active public involvement and education process; a focus on quality of life and a sustainable future; and strong local leadership. Illus- trated with numerous case studies, the report will help rural planners and decisionmakers understand the challenges they face and select the most effective and appropriate approach for their own communities.

C O N T E N T S 1 Summary 3 Chapter 1 Introduction and Research Approach 4 Chapter 2 Profile of the Rural United States 4 Economic and Social Conditions of the Rural United States 4 Rural and Non-Rural Counties 5 Growing and Declining Rural Counties 6 The Influence of Urban Proximity on Growth 6 The Influence of Economic Dependence on Growth 6 Rural Demographic Subgroups 8 Chapter 3 Rural Community Types and Issues 8 Exurban Communities 9 Destination Communities 10 Production Communities 12 Accessibility and Livability Challenges Faced by Rural Communities 14 Chapter 4 Best Practices for Improving Rural Accessibility and Livability 14 Setting the Regional Framework 15 Improving Local Accessibility 16 Enhancing Community Design 17 Chapter 5 Facilitating Effective Planning 17 Context-Sensitive Solutions: A Proven Process Framework 17 Increasing Local/State Dialogue through Rural Consultation 18 Tools for Effective Planning Processes 18 Key Principles for Successful Land Use and Transportation Integration 20 Chapter 6 Additional Research Needed 20 Public Transit 20 Intelligent Transportation Systems 20 Planning for Native American Communities 22 References 23 Bibliography 25 Glossary 26 Appendix A Demographic, Social, and Economic Profile of the Rural United States 34 Appendix B Case Studies 81 Appendix C Survey Summary 94 Appendix D Focus Group Summary