The 2005 Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) requires coordination planning for states to receive federal funding for rural transportation service, yet rural areas have unique coordination needs and obstacles. This study examined South Carolina as an example of a rural state engaging in statewide and local transportation service coordination planning. The objective of this research was to determine and analyze the barriers for transit coordination for predominantly rural areas. A survey representing 247 transportation-service stakeholders in South Carolina combined with data on the states rural regions to provide quantitative analysis of coordination efforts and barriers to those efforts. This research analyzed the impact of land use in addition to procedural and perceived barriers for coordination among private and public entities providing transportation services. Results showed that differing administrative procedures between agencies was frequently perceived as a barrier. While rural areas face long distances and inefficient land-use patterns, public unfamiliarity with transportation services, and little professional expertise in transportation, rural areas also benefit from in-depth knowledge of local history, politics, and social expectations.
Samenvatting