Public transportation: another gap in rural America

With an increasing recongnition of the importance of transportation to economic health and quality of life of an area, it has become apparent that rural America lags in terms of resources and services. No more than 3 percent of federal aid for public transport goes to areas outside major urban centers, even through rural areas contain 25 percent of the population. While a 1982 survey showed over 5300 human service agencies providing specialized transportation services, private automobiles perform a high percentage of non-urban travel. This means that households in rural areas are forced to devote a larger share of their smaller income to transportation. An index of unmet need is developed as a general indicator for federal, state and local policy making. Data suggest that while non-urban households have somewhat greater access to private vehicles along with shorter journey-to-work times, the need for transportation in such areas is substantially higher than in metro areas. This differential is greatest in the South. In rural areas with concentrations of poor and minority populations, the lack of adequate transportation is most pronounced.