What’s New • FHWA and FTA publish final rule on statewide and metropolitan transportation planning • AASHTO releases Comparison of Proposed and Final Statewide and Metropolitan Planning Regulations • Presentations from the January 2007 RPO Council Meeting in Charlotte, NC • New Roles for Local Officials in Rural Transportation Planning by NADO Executive Director Matthew Chase • AASHTO Releases "Non-Metropolitan Local Consultation Process: A Self-Assessment Tool for States" • 2006 National Rural Transportation Peer Learning Conference Presentations • NADO-AMPO Sign Partnership Agreement • NADO Released Action Alert and Fact Sheet on the Proposed DOT Rules • NADO and AMPO Release Special Report on FHWA and FTA Transportation Regulations • NADO President Names 2006-2007 National RPO Council of Peers • Senator Bond Applauds RPO America • Rep. Oberstar Recognizes NADO for Forming RPO America •Public Meetings on Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Statewide and Metropolitan Planning Requirements •Federal Register Announcement Proposed Guidance on Section 6002 of SAFETEA-LU •Success with GPS at SDDOT • Presentations at 2006 Northern New England Rural Transportation Workshop •High Risk Rural Roads Program (HRRRP) Guidance •NC State Association of RPOs Web Site • NADO Research Foundation Report, "Transportation Planning in Rural America: Emerging Models for Local Consultation, Regional Coordination and Rural Planning Organizations" • New Report Released on Geospatial Information Infrastructure for Transportation Organizations • Rural Transit Services: Where Counties Can Go For Help •Rural Community Coordinated Transportation Toolkit •Strategic Highway Safety Plans: Guide to Saving Lives • NACO Article on Tennessee's New Rural Planning Process • Local Government Officials: Key Stakeholders in Rural Transportation Planning • FHWA-FTA Transportation Capacity Building Web site • Final FHWA Rules for Rural Local Official Consultation

Rural Transportation.org, originally developed by the National Association of Counties (NACo) and the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO), serves as an information clearinghouse for regional development professionals, local government officials and others interested in rural transportation planning and development issues.

The site features resources and background information on rural transportation planning organizations, state DOT models for consulting with rural local officials, and a library of research and policy reports on rural transportation issues.

In addition, the site highlights important resource links, provides a gateway to NADO's email list serve of more than 1,500 rural transportation planning stakeholders, and offers a snapshot of the 2003 federal rule for state-local consultation on non-metropolitan transportation planning and decision making.

About NADO and the NADO Research Foundation:

Building on nearly four decades of experience, the National Association of Development Organizations serves as the national voice of regional development organizations primarily serving small metropolitan and rural America. In 1988, the NADO Research Foundation was founded to serve as the research and professional development affiliate of the association.

The term Regional Development Organizations is used generically to describe the national network of multi-jurisdictional planning and development organizations that provide administrative, professional and technical assistance to more than 2,000 counties and 15,000 municipalities across the nation.

These public entities are often known locally as: councils of government, area development districts, economic development districts, local development districts, planning and development commissions, regional planning commissions and regional councils. Each organization is typically governed by a policy board of local government officials, with additional representation of business and community leaders.

These entities are a key catalyst for strategic planning, partnerships and initiatives that are designed to meet locally-identified needs and conditions. The core philosophy of regional development organizations is to help local officials and communities pool their limited resources to achieve economies of scale, build organizational skills and professional expertise, and foster regional cooperation and collaborations.

Depending on local priorities, regional development organizations work closely with local communities, governments and businesses on a variety of areas, including: aging services, business development finance, community and economic development, emergency preparedness and response, environmental stewardship, housing, GIS services, public administration, transportation planning and workforce development. According to NADO's research, more than 25 state DOTs currently contract with RDOs to provide rural transportation planning services and assistance to state and local government officials.

This website is made possible through a grant with the Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation. To learn more about NACo, visit www.naco.org

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