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 and assistance to at least three regions or communities.

This project represents one of the individual community efforts. The purpose of this project is to explore strategies to enhance mobility access in rural, southeastern Utah. The project team will explore potential funding and match options, communications with the public regarding transit planning and decision-making, and strategies for improving transportation access for low-income persons as well as supporting substance use disorder (SUD) prevention and treatment. Virtual or in-person workshops will apply value chain mapping to analyzing how transportation fits in with economic resilience and transition in these economically diverse counties, including a mix of SUD-affected places, tourism-reliant places, coal-economy transition places, and high poverty places.