How Transit Can Improve in Rural Communities
In primarily-rural counties, over one million households don’t have access to a car, making better transit options essential for them to quickly and efficiently commute. However, compared to urban areas, public transit looks vastly different in rural communities. They face challenges related to smaller travel zones, service frequency, a lack of funding, and inadequate access to services.
Almost a fifth of the U.S. population (approximately 58 million people) live in rural areas. Data collected from the National Transit Database (NTD) in 2019 found that 87 percent of the 200 bus networks with low ridership were located in rural counties with less than 50,000 residents. Passio Tech provided this data on the reality of rural transit at the Georgia Transportation Association annual conference. Additionally, over 80 percent of them were low-income areas, presenting an even greater need for more investments in public transport to ensure transit equity.
The lack of adequate transit services causes Americans in rural areas to suffer – cutting them off from better education and employment opportunities, public services, and access to necessities like healthcare and grocery shopping. Keep reading to learn how abandoning a fixed-route system can improve public transit access and services in rural communities. Passio Tech’s data shows that flexible pick-up on existing routes is a viable solution to rural transit woes.
Passio Tech provides innovative, tech-based solutions that assist transit companies in providing flexible route service options to passengers and make public transportation more efficient. Contact us to learn more about how Passio Tech can serve and improve your existing system.
