Planning Resources for Rural Transit Managers

Planning Transit Services/Strategic Planning:

• TCRP Synthesis 171: Third-Party Contracts for Fixed-Route Bus Operations and Maintenance: Performance Metrics
• National RTAP Developing Effective Policies and Procedures Technical Brief
• Victoria Transport Policy Institute Rural Multimodal Planning (Why and How to Improve Travel Options in Small Towns and Rural Communities)
• FHWA/FTA Transportation Planning Process Briefing Book
• National RTAP/AASHTO MTAP Succession Planning Webinar (held May 9, 2023)
• National RTAP Alternative Fuels Topic Guide
• 2023–2026 Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility Strategic Plan 
• NCHRP Report 980: Attracting, Retaining, and Developing the Transportation Workforce: Transportation Planner 
• TCRP Synthesis 154: Innovative Practices for Transit Planning at Small to Mid-Sized Agencies
• Texas Transportation Institute’s Toolkit for Rural Transit Planning - Five-Year Operations and Financial Plan
• TCRP Report 6: Users' Manual for Assessing Service-Delivery Systems for Rural Passenger Transportation
• TCRP Report 54: Management Toolkit for Rural and Small Urban Transportation Systems
• TCRP Report 70: Guidebook for Change and Innovation at Rural and Small Urban Transit Systems
• TCRP Synthesis 94: Innovative Rural Transit Services
• TCRP Report 99: Embracing Change in a Changing World -- Case Studies Applying New Paradigms for Rural and Small Urban Transit Service Delivery
• TCRP Report 101: Toolkit for Rural Community Coordinated Transportation Services
• TCRP Report 136: Guidebook for Rural Demand-Response Transportation: Measuring, Assessing, and Improving Performance
• NCHRP Report 861: Best Practices in Rural Regional Mobility (see Chapters 4-6)

Rural Transit and Demographic Data:

• Rural Transit Fact Book
• Rural Integrated National Transit Database (iNTD)
• National Transit Database: Reporting Changes and Clarifications (Federal Register - published 3/3/2023)
• U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey Data

Planning Transit Facilities:

• Toolkit for the Assessment of Bus Stop Accessibility and Safety 
• Planning for a Transit Facility in Small Urbanized and Rural Areas (FTA PowerPoint)

Civil Rights Considerations:

• FTA Circular 4702.1B: Title VI Requirements and Guidelines for Federal Transit Administration Recipients
• FTA Circular 4703.1: Environmental Justice Policy Guidance For Federal Transit Administration Recipients

Transit Asset Management Planning:

• FTA's TAM web page
• FTA's Transit Asset Management Plans for Small and Medium Providers recorded webinar
• TCRP Report 172: Guidance for Developing a Transit Asset Management Plan 
• National RTAP's Transit Asset Management Topic Guide (Updated 8/2024)
• TCRP's Integrating Effective Transportation Performance, Risk, and Asset Management Practices
• APTA's Developing a Precision-Driven Asset Management Program
• TCRP/NCHRP's Fix It, Sign It, or Close It: State of Good Repair in an Era of Budget Constraints

Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Planning:

• Medicaid Transportation Coverage & Coordination Fact Sheet (released by FTA and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) - NEW 11/27/2024
• FTA Circular 9070.1G, Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities Program Guidance and Application Instructions (details the requirements for a locally developed coordinated plan in Chapter V)
• “Expanding Access to Our Communities: A Guide to Successful Mobility Management Practices in Small Urban and Rural Areas,” (KFH Group, contractor's final report for National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Project 20-65 Task 68)
• CCAM Federal Funding Braiding Guide

Updated 11/27/2024