From late 2008 through 2009, NADO and the NADO Research Foundation released several publications related to rural and small metropolitan transportation planning. Covering such issues as local participation in statewide planning, RPO and MPO collaboration, transportation’s role in regional economic development and an update on the state of RPOs nationwide were produced in the past year. Many of these publications were developed with support from the Federal Highway Administration.
2009 National Scan: Rural Transportation Planning Organizations
This report provides an overview of characteristics of rural transportation planning organizations (RPOs), including funding levels, governance structures and committees, and innovative practices.
Role of Transportation Planning in the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy Process: A Nationwide Scan
This research report identifies the extent and methods used by economic development districts to incorporate transportation plans, projects, stakeholders, and issues into the regions' comprehensive economic development strategy (CEDS) documents. The research team also identified and described promising practices and case studies. This report was produced by the Center for Governmental Studies at Northern Illinois University under contract to the NADO Research Foundation's Center for Transportation Advancement and Regional Development.
Metropolitan and Rural Transportation Planning: Case Studies and Checklists for Regional Collaboration
The guide provides checklists complete with a series of steps that planning organizations can take to enhance their level of collaboration on a variety of planning topics. The report also offers several case studies describing how such steps have been taken by MPOs, RPOs and their planning partners. This report is available as a PDF or in a Web version, which provides links between all the case studies and checklists that cover related topics.
Local Development Districts: Pursuing Transportation-Led Economic Development
This report focuses on how improved rural transportation corridors in Appalachia can benefit from economic growth and development. Developed by the NADO Research Foundation for the Development District Association of Appalachia.
Rural Local Officials Consultation Assessment Guide
This guide is intended to provide rural local elected and appointed officials, along with their regional planning organizations, with a framework for appraising the effectiveness, timeliness and results of their involvement and input into the statewide transportation planning and decision-making processes within their respective states. A PowerPoint presentation is also available to accompany the guide, so that NADO members can customize information that is specific to their state or region for their new board or committee member orientation. Access the full report at http://www.RuralTransportation.org/uploads/assess08.pdf, and the presentation at http://66.132.139.69/uploads/assessppt.pdf (PDF) or http://66.132.139.69/uploads/assess08.ppt (Microsoft PowerPoint needed to view and edit)
www.RuralTransportation.org
Also in 2009, the NADO Research Foundation and RPO America launched the newly redesigned www.RuralTransportation.org, which features RPO Models from across the nation, a document library with reports and links relating to transportation planning and service delivery topics, rural transportation conference updates and many more resources.
In addition, a recording from the webinar “Climate Change Is Heating Up: The Latest Information and Resources for Transportation Planning Agencies in Rural, Small- and Medium-sized Regions,” which NADO co-sponsored with the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations, is posted at www.RuralTransportation.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=69578.
Presentations from the 2009 National Rural Transportation Peer Learning Conference are also available at www.RuralTransportation.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=90111.
Throughout 2010, stay posted for additional reports, case studies, webinars, and the 2010 Nationa
