Rural Transportation Issues: Research Roadmap (2022)

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2022 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 RESEARCH REPORT 988 Rural Transportation Issues RESEARCH ROADMAP Jaime Sullivan Karalyn Clouser Western Transportation Institute at Montana State University Bozeman, MT a n d John Shaw Institute of Transportation at Iowa State University Ames, IA Subscriber Categories Research • Public Transportation • Administration and Management Research sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration

NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM Systematic, well-designed, and implementable research is the most effective way to solve many problems facing state departments of transportation (DOTs) administrators and engineers. Often, highway problems are of local or regional interest and can best be studied by state DOTs individually or in cooperation with their state universities and others. However, the accelerating growth of highway transporta- tion results in increasingly complex problems of wide interest to high- way authorities. These problems are best studied through a coordinated program of cooperative research. Recognizing this need, the leadership of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) in 1962 ini- tiated an objective national highway research program using modern scientific techniques—the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP). NCHRP is supported on a continuing basis by funds from participating member states of AASHTO and receives the full cooperation and support of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), United States Department of Transportation, under Agree- ment No. 693JJ31950003. The Transportation Research Board (TRB) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine was requested by AASHTO to administer the research program because of TRB’s recognized objectivity and understanding of modern research practices. TRB is uniquely suited for this purpose for many reasons: TRB maintains an extensive com- mittee structure from which authorities on any highway transportation subject may be drawn; TRB possesses avenues of communications and cooperation with federal, state, and local governmental agencies, univer- sities, and industry; TRB’s relationship to the National Academies is an insurance of objectivity; and TRB maintains a full-time staff of special- ists in highway transportation matters to bring the findings of research directly to those in a position to use them. The program is developed on the basis of research needs iden- tified by chief administrators and other staff of the highway and transportation departments, by committees of AASHTO, and by the FHWA. Topics of the highest merit are selected by the AASHTO Special Committee on Research and Innovation (R&I), and each year R&I’s recommendations are proposed to the AASHTO Board of Direc- tors and the National Academies. Research projects to address these topics are defined by NCHRP, and qualified research agencies are selected from submitted proposals. Administration and surveillance of research contracts are the responsibilities of the National Academies and TRB. The needs for highway research are many, and NCHRP can make significant contributions to solving highway transportation problems of mutual concern to many responsible groups. The program, however, is intended to complement, rather than to substitute for or duplicate, other highway research programs. Published research reports of the NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM are available from Transportation Research Board Business Office 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 and can be ordered through the Internet by going to https://www.mytrb.org/MyTRB/Store/default.aspx Printed in the United States of America NCHRP RESEARCH REPORT 988 Project 20-122 ISSN 2572-3766 (Print) ISSN 2572-3774 (Online) ISBN 978-0-309-68680-8 Library of Congress Control Number 2022932760 © 2022 National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. COPYRIGHT INFORMATION Authors herein are responsible for the authenticity of their materials and for obtaining written permissions from publishers or persons who own the copyright to any previously published or copyrighted material used herein. Cooperative Research Programs (CRP) grants permission to reproduce material in this publication for classroom and not-for-profit purposes. Permission is given with the understanding that none of the material will be used to imply TRB, AASHTO, FAA, FHWA, FTA, GHSA, NHTSA, or TDC endorsement of a particular product, method, or practice. It is expected that those reproducing the material in this document for educational and not-for-profit uses will give appropriate acknowledgment of the source of any reprinted or reproduced material. For other uses of the material, request permission from CRP. NOTICE The research report was reviewed by the technical panel and accepted for publication according to procedures established and overseen by the Transportation Research Board and approved by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The opinions and conclusions expressed or implied in this report are those of the researchers who performed the research and are not necessarily those of the Transportation Research Board; the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; the FHWA; or the program sponsors. The Transportation Research Board; the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; and the sponsors of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program do not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers’ names or logos appear herein solely because they are considered essential to the object of the report.

The National Academy of Sciences was established in 1863 by an Act of Congress, signed by President Lincoln, as a private, non- governmental institution to advise the nation on issues related to science and technology. Members are elected by their peers for outstanding contributions to research. Dr. Marcia McNutt is president. The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to bring the practices of engineering to advising the nation. Members are elected by their peers for extraordinary contributions to engineering. Dr. John L. Anderson is president. The National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) was established in 1970 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to advise the nation on medical and health issues. Members are elected by their peers for distinguished contributions to medicine and health. Dr. Victor J. Dzau is president. The three Academies work together as the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation and conduct other activities to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions. The National Academies also encourage education and research, recognize outstanding contributions to knowledge, and increase public understanding in matters of science, engineering, and medicine. Learn more about the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine at www.nationalacademies.org. The Transportation Research Board is one of seven major programs of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The mission of the Transportation Research Board is to provide leadership in transportation improvements and innovation through trusted, timely, impartial, and evidence-based information exchange, research, and advice regarding all modes of transportation. The Board’s varied activities annually engage about 8,000 engineers, scientists, and other transportation researchers and practitioners from the public and private sectors and academia, all of whom contribute their expertise in the public interest. The program is supported by state transportation departments, federal agencies including the component administrations of the U.S. Department of Transportation, and other organizations and individuals interested in the development of transportation. Learn more about the Transportation Research Board at www.TRB.org.

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 CRP STAFF FOR NCHRP RESEARCH REPORT 988 Christopher J. Hedges, Director, Cooperative Research Programs Lori L. Sundstrom, Deputy Director, Cooperative Research Programs Waseem Dekelbab, Associate Program Manager, National Cooperative Highway Research Program Stephan A. Parker, Senior Program Officer Stephanie L. Campbell-Chamberlain, Senior Program Assistant Natalie Barnes, Director of Publications Heather DiAngelis, Associate Director of Publications Kami Cabral, Editor NCHRP PROJECT 20-122 PANEL Field of Special Projects Charles R. Carr, Mississippi Department of Transportation, Jackson, MS (Chair) Barbara K. Cline, Prairie Hills Transit, Spearfish, SD Santo A. Grande, Delmarva Community Services, Inc., Cambridge, MD Ronald C. Hall, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO Kristen Joyner, Southwest Transit Association (SWTA), Fort Worth, TX Peggi S. Knight, Iowa Department of Transportation, Ames, IA Dianne Kresich, Arizona Department of Transportation, Phoenix, AZ Dale Peabody, Maine Department of Transportation, Augusta, ME Robin Riesa Phillips, National Rural Transit Assistance Program (RTAP), Washington, DC Fred Schmidt, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT Julie White, North Carolina Department of Transportation, Raleigh, NC Pat Wise, Montana Department of Transportation, Helena, MT Guohui Zhang, University of Hawai’i, Manoa, Honolulu, HI Jill Stark, FHWA Liaison Elan Flippin, FTA Liaison Caroline Kieltyka, AASHTO Liaison Timothy A. Klein, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology (OST-R) Liaison Jennifer L. Weeks, TRB Liaison

AUTHOR ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The research reported herein was performed under NCHRP Project 20-122 by the Western Transpor- tation Institute (WTI) at Montana State University and the Institute of Transportation (InTrans) at Iowa State University. Jaime Sullivan, P.E., Research Engineer and Director of the National Center for Rural Road Safety at WTI was the Principal Investigator. The other authors of this report were John Shaw, P.E., Researcher at InTrans and Karalyn Clouser, Researcher at WTI. The report was created under the guidance of the Senior Technical Expert Panel, including Steve Albert, Former Executive Director at WTI; Shauna Hallmark, Director at InTrans; Natalie Villwock-Witte, Assistant Research Professor/WTI Research Engineer; David Kack, WTI Acting Director, WTI Public Mobility Program Manager, Small Urban, Rural and Tribal Center on Mobility (SURTCOM) Center Manager, and Livability Center Manager; and Susan Gallagher, WTI Education Manager and Former West Region Transportation Workforce Center (WRTWC) Manager. The report was created with the support of Carla Little, WTI. The authors are also sincerely grateful to the non-project panel participants of the Colorado workshop including: Steve Andrle, Senior Program Officer, TRB; Ben Rasmussen, Public Lands Manager, Volpe; David Harris, Transit Director, New Mexico DOT; David Averill, Executive Director, San Miguel Authority for Regional Transportation; Pamela Dingman, County Engineer, Lancaster County; Cassie Parker, Regional Transportation Planner, South Central Planning and Development Commission; Benjamin Colucci, Professor of Civil Engineering and Director of Local Technical Assistance Programs (LTAP), University of Puerto Rico; Kimberly Kenville, Professor, University of North Dakota; John Whetsel, retired Sheriff; Rowena Yeahquo, Tribal Planner; Carrie Kissel, Associate Director, National Association of Development Orga nizations (NADO); Joe Marek, County Engineer, Clackamas County; Stephanie Gonterman, Vice President, Isaacs and Associates; Chris Zeilinger, Assistant Director, CTAA; Janelle White, Planner, Arkansas DOT&PF; Corinne Jachelski, Public Lands Transportation Fellow, Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge; Fred Fravel, Vice President, KFH Group; Saara Snow, Travel Initiatives Coordinator, Adventure Cycling Association; Randy Reeg, City Administrator, City of Thorp; Linda MacIntyre, Congestion Management Manager, National Park Service Denver Service Center; and Carolyn DiGuiseppi, Department of Epidemiology, University of Colorado Denver.

NCHRP Research Report 988: Rural Transportation Issues: Research Roadmap identifies transportation-related issues faced by rural communities and suggests research needed to provide information and data to state departments of transportation (DOTs) and other public agencies to inform infrastructure investment decisions. This report brings attention to the unique circumstances related to providing transportation to and within rural areas, and will be of immediate interest to both researchers and policymakers for all aspects of rural transportation, including planning; design; construction; operations and service provision; and maintenance. Only 19% of the country’s population live in rural areas, but approximately 47% of the nation’s motor vehicle fatalities occur in rural areas. More than 70% of the country’s roadway miles are in rural areas. These rural roadways are part of a rural transportation system that includes air- ports; railways; inland and coastal waterways; rural and intercity buses; and bicycle, pedestrian, and multi-use paths and trails. Rural areas in every state experience myriad challenges related directly or indirectly to transportation. These challenges vary among and within states and in the ways transporta- tion can be part of a solution. Challenges include air service from rural airports; access to health care; availability of emergency medical services after a crash; mobility of the elderly and people with disabilities; the movement of agricultural products to markets; human traf- ficking; access to high-speed electronic communications; natural disasters; passenger rail services; agency workforce recruitment and retention; and the relationship of transportation to economic development. Under NCHRP Project 20-122, “Rural Transportation Issues: Research Roadmap,” the Western Transportation Institute at Montana State University conducted an environmental scan, a literature review and gap analysis, and a stakeholder workshop. The Research Team identified longer-term research needs and organized them into a portfolio of critical needs by rural transportation theme. This work was accomplished through three additional stake- holder workshops and a stakeholder webinar. The Research Team identified six overlapping, qualitative rural community types; created 15 portfolios of themed research; and created or refined 26 Research Needs Statements and 13 problem statements of interest to state DOTs and other agencies. This report will be of immediate use to state DOTs and other agencies that fund transportation research. Since the completion of this project, the newly formed TRB Rural Transportation Issues Coordinating Council has adopted the rural roadmap to guide its activities. F O R E W O R D By Stephan A. Parker Staff Officer Transportation Research Board

1 Summary 7 Chapter 1 Background 7 Defining Rural America 8 Why Focus on Rural Transportation? 10 Need for NCHRP Project 20-122 11 NCHRP Project 20-122 Objectives 12 Chapter 2 Research Approach 12 Comprehensive Approach 15 Project Phases and Tasks 18 Chapter 3 Activities and Findings 18 Fact Sheets 20 Literature Review 22 RNS Database Search 24 Practitioner Needs 27 Safety Needs 31 Policy Needs 32 Researcher Needs 39 Additional Practitioner and Researcher Needs 41 Chapter 4 Conclusions and Suggestions 41 Research Needs Statements 45 Database 45 Portfolios of Themed Research 49 Problem Statements 52 Chapter 5 Implementation 52 Implementing the Plan 52 Awareness 54 Additional RNS and Problem Statements 54 Additional Products and Portfolios 54 Identifying a Home 55 Measuring Success 56 References A-1 Appendix A Fourteen Fact Sheets B-1 Appendix B Seven Research Needs Statements for Colorado Workshop C-1 Appendix C Annotated Literature Review C O N T E N T S

D-1 Appendix D Rural Transportation Projects in Progress or Recently Completed E-1 Appendix E Twenty-Five Research Needs Statements for Project Panel Ranking F-1 Appendix F Six Original Portfolios G-1 Appendix G Final Fifteen Portfolios H-1 Appendix H Transit Problem Statements I-1 Appendix I Policy Problem Statements Note: Photographs, figures, and tables in this report may have been converted from color to grayscale for printing. The electronic version of the report (posted on the web at www.nap.edu) retains the color versions.