For over 60% of respondents in a country-wide survey, the answer is as simple as it is frustrating: no public transit options exist. With limited available funding and dauntingly low-density service areas, municipalities and agencies often struggle to provide meaningful levels of service for rural communities.
For regions with rural service, respondents cite additional barriers: lack of accessibility and convenience, lack of awareness of service areas, routes, or schedules, and a challenge reaching the geographies and demographic groups who would most benefit.
Though this rider feedback may seem daunting, opportunities for more accessible, responsive service can be found everywhere. In fact, new technologies can be useful in addressing some of the transportation challenges faced by rural communities. Some small cities and towns are delivering on-demand microtransit services to rural areas and have found huge success: more riders, higher efficiency, and lower cost, with some services seeing cost reductions of more than 50% per trip. Learn what they do.