Preliminary Scope
Rural communities traditionally have been underrepresented in transportation planning efforts by state DOTs) During the early to mid-2000s, there were significant efforts to document rural consultation efforts by state DOTs, with the goal of building relationships and communication between state DOTs and rural community leaders. The ultimate goal of these efforts was to create a more widely inclusive transportation planning and project development process, consistent with statutory language in ISTEA and TEA-21, as well as the FHWA and FTA joint planning regulations in 2003. Early research on state outreach to rural places identified the use of regional, rural planning entities as one effective practice for conducting local official consultation.
Ultimately, these efforts culminated in the establishment of statutory language in the surface transportation bill MAP-21 that enabled the establishment and designation of regional transportation planning organizations (RTPOs). In addition, statewide and non-metropolitan planning language changed the relationship between states and rural local officials from “consultation” to “cooperation,” necessitating a higher level of communication. Between the date of this authorizing language and the current day, very few designated RTPOs have been established, even though over 30 states are using some form of RTPO-like entities, regardless of designation status, sometimes referred to as rural planning entities (RPEs).
The objective of this synthesis is to document state DOT practices for transportation planning in non-metropolitan areas.
Information to be gathered includes (but is not limited to):
- Type of rural planning organizations state DOTs cooperate with in transportation planning and project development and delivery;
- Outreach methods used for conducting local official consultation and cooperation, regardless of RTPO designation status;
- Degree of technical assistance offered by state DOTs to RPEs (e.g., hours, staffing, and funding);
- Planning activities currently undertaken by RPEs in support of, or in place of state DOTs conducting their own transportation planning in non-metropolitan areas;
- Practices of state DOT interaction with RPEs;
- Practices and relationships of state DOTs with FHWA, FTA, and other federal transportation entities related to RPEs;
- If applicable, state DOT activities coordinated with FHWA, FTA, or other federal transportation entities for the advancement of rural transportation planning; and
- Processes used for consultation with localities.
Information will be gathered through a literature review, a survey of state DOTs, and follow-up interviews with selected DOTs for the development of case examples. Information gaps and suggestions for research to address those gaps will be identified.
Information Sources (Partial)
TRB Staff
Trey Joseph Wadsworth
Phone: 202-334-2307
Email: twadsworth@nas.edu
Meeting Dates
First Panel Meeting: September 11, 2024, Washington, DC
Teleconference with Consultant: TBD
Second Panel: June 5, 2025, Washington, DC
