Rural transportation systems offer critical connectivity to residents, visitors, and businesses needing to access destinations. However, rural transportation offers particular challenges, as well. Distances between origin and destination are often long, making it more difficult, time-consuming, and expensive to reach jobs, education, health care, social activities, and other quality of life services and activities.

WTI is leading a research program with the National Association of Development Organizations that will benefit communities around the nation by providing critical information and technical assistance to develop transportation projects that are expected to generate economic outcomes. The focus will be on project that support three strategies: improving quality of life, supporting a rural workforce, and bolstering economic development. The scope of work consists of overall project management, assistance to at least three regions or communities, and development of a quick response technical assistance process.

This project represents the effort to develop a quick response technical assistance (TA) process. The project team will establish a process to conduct intake of rural locations seeking technical assistance related to mobility and economic development or business assistance. Then, the team will solicit quick response TA requests that involve providing short-term assistance through research, providing-information, coaching calls or web meetings, trainings, or facilitating peer mentor matching or online peer exchange.