Innovative Rural Transit Services (2011)

Below is the uncorrected machine-read text of this chapter, intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text of each book. Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.

5 SYNTHESIS PURPOSE TCRP is conducting this synthesis to focus on transit’s response to rural community transportation needs. The syn- thesis reviews the state-of-the-practice, broadly defined for the synthesis as rural transportation service innovations. Considerable thought was put into how innovations could be defined and categorized for rural transit. Building on pre- vious TCRP research, the synthesis defines innovation as change for a useful purpose, including— • New, different, and unique techniques, practices, or approaches (changes that improve a part of the organization); • Techniques, practices, or approaches that are newly applied to a rural transit setting, but not necessarily unique; and • Modification of a practice that has been previously implemented, but with a nuance or twist that makes it different or innovative (1, p. 1–2). With a wide array of possible innovations that have been considered and implemented by rural transit agencies and intercity bus operators, the synthesis narrowed its focus of innovations to the following six categories: 1. Innovative agency characteristics; 2. Service responses to changing demographics; 3. Involvement in the transportation planning process; 4. Alternative service modes; 5. Outreach, education, and training; and 6. Leveraging funding opportunities. Innovations relating to coordination and technology were purposefully not included in the review, as they have been studied and reported on elsewhere. The reader can view a number of TCRP reports on coordination, including TCRP CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION The transit industry has long recognized that transit agen- cies in rural America face unique challenges. Providers of rural transit operate with limited budgets, traverse large service areas with low densities, typically operate with less sophisticated technology than their urban counterparts, may have inherited poor service designs, and must stretch to meet service demands with limited staffing. Compounding these challenges is the image problem associated with many rural transit systems—the service is for human service clients. These challenges make innovation a necessity and a key ele- ment of success. Rapid suburbanization of rural areas is a twofold problem for rural transit. What was at the beginning of the decade a rural area (and funded as such) in 10 years may become an expanding suburb, where the population may double by the end of the decade. Funding, however, is maintained at a low level. Furthermore, this suburb often becomes part of the urban area, and as we saw in one case study, the rural transit system was forced to withdraw from the service area. Rural transit service is a lifeline for many people residing in rural areas. Transit is called on to provide access to work, school, medical appointments, shopping, and other essential services. Unique to rural transit, requests for service can come from locations many miles apart at the same time. This places enormous pressure on the service as needs for transit service expand. Many rural transit agencies are changing and innovating to improve and meet the increasing demands for their ser- vice. Although some thrive in this environment, other transit agencies are not able to make such changes. This synthesis revealed that the successful systems have certain character- istics related to their willingness and ability to change as needed to improve, innovate, and try something new. Indeed, the ability to change in itself is innovative. The case studies in this synthesis highlight four rural transit agencies that have innovative aspects, and all have reinvented themselves, which is perhaps their greatest and most important innovation. The fifth case study is a state agency with a history of innovation in a number of areas.

6 99 (1,5) summarized within this synthesis’s literature review in the following section. This synthesis is a follow-up to that earlier research, and readers are urged to review those two documents in conjunction with this synthesis. One of the key points taken from those documents is the need to align the organization for change, developing a culture of innovation. The Guidebook on Change and Innovation (TCRP Report 70) focuses on the “culture of innovation.” According to the guidebook, “The culture of innovation suggests that an orga- nization is willing and able to change” (1). The need for an entrepreneurial leader was also apparent as every case study confirmed. Thinking in the Future Tense It is interesting to note that in 1999 bicycle racks were con- sidered innovative. The question to be asked is, Why wasn’t that thought of 80 years ago? Why did it take so long for an innovation that within 10 years is almost as ubiquitous as a lift or ramp and has expanded the reach of transit? What is the next major innovation waiting to happen, and how will it be created? What types of organization and what types of managers are prerequisites for this to happen? Significantly, certain organizations are better positioned to “think in the future tense,” through management style and practice that fosters creativity and innovation. Such organization characteristics were explored as part of TCRP Reports 70 and 99, which provide a detailed bibliography on organizational change and adaptation. Understanding and anticipating future patterns, trends, and needs will allow an organization to change in a timely manner rather than con- tinually playing “catch up.” REPORT METHODOLOGY This synthesis includes a literature review; a survey of state agencies, state and national associations, and transit provid- ers; and five case studies. Follow-up interviews were con- ducted as necessary. The literature review included both documents germane to the topic of innovation, as well as publications that might have highlighted innovative prac- tices. Sources included TCRP reports, and documents from CTAA, Project ACTION of Easter Seals, and university research centers. A web-based survey was developed specifically for this synthesis to search for innovative practices. Survey can- didates were contacted by email and asked to participate. Many did, but some requested that we contact the transit system directly. Respondents included state departments of transportation (DOTs), national associations, and transit providers. The response rate was 82%. Appendix A includes a copy of the survey, and Appendix B lists the respondents. Report 101: Toolkit for Rural Community Coordinated Transportation Services (2); TCRP Report 105: Strategies to Increase Coordination of Transportation Services for the Transportation Disadvantaged (3); and TCRP Report 121: Toolkit for Integrating Non-dedicated Vehicles in Paratran- sit Service (4). Additional coordination studies were con- ducted through Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA) and Project ACTION. Technology-related studies can also be found through TCRP, CTAA, and FHWA. Despite the categorization of innovations into common groups, innovations tend to fit a particular niche or need, and are typically tailored to an individual transit agency. It is important that the reader not necessarily attempt to replicate an innovation from another agency, but rather take the idea and tailor it for a particular situation. Background on Rural Transit and Intercity Service Rural transit is defined as transportation services available to the public in communities of fewer than 50,000 residents. This can include public transportation services operating in only one town up to multicounty transit systems, which in some cases can be as many as 25 counties. Rural transit also includes intercity bus services, which provide critical link- ages across vast stretches of the country. Public as well as private providers may operate rural transit. Across the country, rural transit comes in many different designs and configurations, with each service implemented to meet the needs of its often-unique community or com- munities. Population densities are low and come nowhere near the levels that urban systems enjoy. This results in a high cost per trip at rural agencies because of long distances that must be traveled and low productivities achieved. With limited funding, growing needs for service, and the realities of their operating environment, rural transit needs to adapt. Innovation in Rural Transit Real-world experience teaches us that over the past 30 years, a number of significant transit innovations have come from rural areas. Examples include bus wraps, service routes, coordinated intercity feeder connections, and coordination of Medicaid and human service transportation. It is interest- ing to note that one of the first practitioners of bus wraps was Pee Dee Regional Transit in South Carolina. The system was successful in generating revenue for that innovative transit system in the mid-1980s and early 1990s. [In the 1980s and early 1990s, Pee Dee Regional Transit was an innovative sys- tem with its bus wraps, 50-mile (one-way) commuter routes to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and its unique approach to local service.] Innovation among rural transit agencies has been explored in earlier TCRP research, specifically TCRP Reports 70 and

7 Through the surveys, the consultant’s knowledge, and the literature review, a number of potential case studies were selected and narrowed to five. Care was taken to— • Introduce some systems that have not been extensively studied, • Ensure that different sized systems were represented, • Ensure that diverse regions of the country were repre- sented, and • Include intercity bus. Interviews were conducted over the telephone and responses were verified with each of the respondents. REPORT ORGANIZATION This synthesis is organized into five chapters. This introduc- tion is followed by the literature review in chapter two, the survey results and a compilation of the innovations in chap- ter three, and the case studies in chapter four. Chapter five focuses on conclusions and suggestions for further research.