By Charles Pekow — States vary considerably in how they incorporate bicycling into rural transportation planning. Overall, they increasingly consider bicycles and other multimodal transportation in non-metropolitan planning. That conclusion comes from a recent report from the National Cooperative Highway Research Program, which surveyed state transportation agencies about their planning requirements for rural areas.
Transportation Planning in Non-Metropolitan/Rural Areas cites Nevada for efforts to engage a variety of stakeholders. The Nevada Department of Transportation receives input from a Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee.
In California, Regional Transportation Planning Agencies handle much of the planning. Some of them convene bicycle and pedestrian advisory councils. But “the number and activity of such committees often depend on the agency’s resources and planning needs,” according to Caltrans, the California transportation department.
The Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) coordinates with the state’s 10 regional planning commissions. Each commission convenes a transportation advisory committee, which can include bicycle advocates. These committees identify and rank local priorities.
Meanwhile, the Colorado Department of Transportation offers a Multimodal Transportation and Mitigation Options Fund. Local jurisdictions can apply for money to fund bicycle projects. “One significant advantage of the (fund) is that it can be used as a local match for federal funding, allowing rural and economically constrained jurisdictions to leverage state dollars to access larger funding opportunities,” the report says. In economically hard-pressed cases, the state will waive its usual matching requirements.
The Tennessee Department of Transportation offers a Transportation Planning Grant, which allows rural communities to apply for money to develop bicycle and pedestrian plans.
But states could do more. Of the 26 states that responded to the survey, only South Carolina said rural transit plans must include bicycle and pedestrian provisions.
Download the report at https://www.nationalacade
