Blog

Don’t Forget About Non-Drivers in Rural America

  • Author: Anna Zivarts
  • Date: September 5, 2024

It’s past time we acknowledge that non-drivers exist, not just in big cities but everywhere. Even in rural America, we make up nearly a third, if not more, of the population. We need to make it possible for people who can’t drive or can’t afford to drive to live, and even thrive in all our communities.

Blog

Improving rural-urban commutes in central Pennsylvania

  • Author: Laurel Schwartz
  • Date: September 28, 2023

Rural Perry County is home to workers who routinely commute to Mechanicsburg, a 30 min. drive away. But public transit options are limited. Researchers at Penn State University collaborated with local government officials to design solutions.

Resources

In-House Microtransit in Rural Massaschusetts

Franklin Regional Transit Authority – Greenfield, MA
In 2019, FRTA launched the FRTA Access microtransit program. In contrast to many microtransit programs that are contracted out to a third-party company, FRTA operates its microtransit in house: FRTA upgraded its scheduling software to allow riders to book on-demand rides, and uses its existing demand-response vehicles to make the trips. Eligible demand-response riders have priority when they reserve in advance, and then any remaining capacity is open to the general public through the FRTA Access app. Initially, riders could only summon rides through the app, but over time FRTA also added an online reservation as some parts of the region lack good cell coverage.

Resources

Franklin County Access Pilot for Nonprofits

Franklin Regional Transit Authority – Franklin County, MA
In November 2021, Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG) a new program, entitled the Franklin County Access Pilot for Nonprofits. It was created for a coalition of local health and social service agencies. FRCOG had funding from a state legislative earmark that they originally planned to use to subsidize Lyft rides. The Lyft pilot was delayed due to lack of Lyft drivers in the rural area, and in the meantime, FRTA’s in-house ride-hailing program, Access, launched. , so FRCOG pivoted to subsidize microtransit rides instead of Lyft rides. FRTA’s Advisory Board met in May 2022 to discuss the future of these initiatives and voted to make the FRTA Access a permanent program.

Mobility News

The Limits of Rural Mobility

  • Date: 12/06/2021

Marcela Moreno, a 2021 Transportation Justice fellow, discusses the ways transportation (or lack thereof) impacts rural communities — and what…

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