Dr. Carol Lewis, Professor and Emeritus Director of the Center for Transportation, Training, and Research (CTTR), and Dr. Gwendolyn Goodwin, Assistant Professor and Interim Director with CTTR, at Texas Southern University (TSU) have focused their work along the 290 corridor that connects Houston and Austin.
Their year 1 project is funded through the Cooperative Mobility for Competitive Megaregion (CM2) consortium’s tier 1 University Transportation Center (UTC) grant. As a part of their project, Creating a Framework to Determine Purpose and Need for Increased Travel Options in the Megaregion for Vulnerable (Environmental Justice) Communities, they have been gathering data to define transportation gaps in non-urban areas. Purpose and need for transportation funding are typically defined by some level of congestion or lack of safety. However, the research questions how we should quantify transportation needs in non-urban areas where congestion is not necessarily an issue.
The following interview is meant to highlight key aspects of their research and findings. Their work is ongoing, and year 2 funds have been awarded to continue this project. On September 7th, TSU is sponsoring a workshop to discuss the findings from their year 1 research, and gain insight from stakeholders for in-progress work for year 2. The event will be held in Winedale, Texas to gather local stakeholders with a knowledge of travel needs in the corridor. Learn more about the event here.
1) Why should we care about rural transportation connectivity and why does it matter?
Rural transportation examines connectivity between rural areas and the nearby urbanized areas. It also includes transport from one rural area to another one. Adequate transportation is the link to opportunities for residents. A range of occupations, specialized health physicians, and recreational options are more robust in urban areas. Additionally, residents often seek transportation to various services e.g. grocery stores, barber shop, as well as jobs that are critical components to everyday life.
Lack of access to essential services and jobs for rural residents reverberates into the economy. Higher unemployment and higher health care costs are borne by society at-large. When the jobs, health, and other opportunities are available in nearby urban areas, but the problem is lack of accessibility, there is an advantage to exploring methods to quantify the need and whether there might be a way to address the need.
2) How do you define the purpose of rural transportation projects and what are the determinants of rural connectivity?
Like transportation projects generally, transportation for rural communities would be designed to meet needs of residents that are currently unmet. Our approach will examine vulnerable communities – those that are low income, minority, headed by women, and inhabited by people classified as seniors. These populations tend to spend a larger percentage of their income on transportation than average households. The study will develop a framework that measures access to jobs, health care, and other essential trips.
3) What is the government’s interest in funding rural transportation projects?
US DOT prepared a report, Beyond Traffic 2045, that noted the increasing numbers of low income, ethnic, and senior residents who might be left on the fringes of society if attention is not focused on their travel requirements. The report encouraged transportation professionals to prepare for this and other impending challenges over the next 25 years.
Government responses to funding rural transportation projects consists of numerous considerations. First, most rural transportation funding usually arrives to states, then counties, from federal grants like 5310 (seniors and persons with disabilities) 5311 (general transport for areas with less than 50k in population) and 5316 (job seekers with a reverse commute). Second, in areas with rural transport, people are unaware of the service or may believe that the services are not for them. For example, that services provided are only for seniors. Third, in many remote areas, Uber, Lyft and other companies do not offer services. Finally, and most important, many jurisdictions lack the funds to support rural transportation.
4) What access to opportunities are you looking at for people who live in these areas?
. All in all, people need access to the places that they need and want to go. These remain paramount to one’s quality of life and are dependent upon megaregional patterns. Communities closer to Austin and Houston, may need to travel within their respective regional hub.
5) What findings did you come across that you didn’t expect?
The most interesting finding to-date is that, in contrast to low income residents in urban areas, rural low-income residents have high rates of auto ownership. We expected to find more lower-income persons and households without cars because of the cost burden associated with car ownership. However, although they own vehicles, this does not mean that these individuals do not need additional transportation assistance or that their cars are reliable.
6) What are the next steps for continuing this research?
The next important step is quantifying the level of need regarding access to jobs and health care. Once the methodology is established, the framework will be applied to other Texas megaregion corridors.