Better coordination of rural transportation services could reduce costs and improve services, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently found.
The GAO interviewed federal officials from the Department of Health and Human Services, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), public transit industry groups, rural and tribal transit providers, and state transportation agencies. The agency also reviewed program documentation and literature on rural transit coordination.
The GAO recommends the FTA administrator develop a communication plan that will effectively share information with state transportation agencies and rural and tribal transit
providers on coordination opportunities and leading coordination practices.
The FTA has made efforts to facilitate coordination, but they have lacked an information-sharing approach or had yet to be submitted to Congress.
In rural areas, public transportation is vital to give residents access to jobs, education, medical services, and shopping.
Over the last three years, the FTA has allocated approximately $2.1 billion in grants to support rural and tribal transit.
The GAO found in 2014 that coordination of transportation services among federal programs is limited and that providing transit services in rural areas can be challenging. Challenges include limited resources, such as funding, staff, and technology; the availability of coordinating mechanisms; and the different requirements of federal programs that fund rural transit.