The inaugural meeting of the Rural Opportunities to Use Transportation for Economic Success (ROUTES) Council was held this week.
The council will work to improve how the U.S. Department of Transportation’s discretionary grant funds are used to support the rural transportation system.
The council is part of the ROUTES Initiative. The initiative will analyze discretionary funding and financing opportunities and will help rural stakeholders understand how to access these opportunities. It also will develop data-driven approaches to assess the needs and benefits of rural transportation projects.
“Rural infrastructure has historically been neglected, and the ROUTES Initiative will address this to boost safety, commerce, and quality of life for all who rely on these transportation networks,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao said at the meeting.
Rural infrastructure has many issues that need to be addressed. In 2018, 46 percent of traffic fatalities were on rural roads, and 90 percent of bridges that are posted for weight limits are in rural areas.
A total of 70 percent of the nation’s road miles are in rural areas, yet only one-fifth of Americans live in these areas.
Nearly 50 percent of truck traffic is on rural roads, and drivers from metropolitan areas conduct 44 percent of the travel on rural roads.