Rural Transportation Issues: Research Roadmap (2022)

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41   Conclusions and Suggestions The conclusions and suggestions from this research were incorporated into several documents. The process, contents, and status of these documents are summarized in the following sections. Research Needs Statements In total, 26 RNS were created for this project. As mentioned in Chapter 3, the creation of RNS was a cyclical process, undertaken by both Research Team members and TRB committees. This section describes that process, the resulting RNS, and the outcomes in more detail. Original Seven RNS The original RNS created for this project were completed by the Research Team before the Colorado workshop using the information from the environmental scan. There was a short timeline (about a month) between the Colorado workshop and the deadline to submit at least five RNS to the AASHTO Special Committee on R&I. The objective of creating these RNS for the Colorado workshop was to provide the attendees with an initial set of RNS to react to, as many times it is easier and faster to “redline” an existing draft than it is to “start from scratch.” Based on stakeholder feedback provided at the Colorado workshop, the original seven RNS were either revised or removed from future consideration. In situations where research had already been conducted on one of the seven topics, then the RNS was either discontinued or the topic was adjusted to incorporate/expand the completed research. If the research had not been conducted, then relevant information from the environmental scan was incorporated into the summary details. Table 6 shows the original seven RNS titles, the high-level comments from the Colorado workshop, and the outcomes following the workshop. As noted in the table, six of the seven were revised and became known as RNS1 through RNS6, while one of the RNS was removed from further consideration. These original seven RNS are presented in Appendix B. RNS Presented to Project Panel in Fall 2018 In addition to the revisions made to six of the seven original statements, the Research Team also created an additional 15 RNS (numbered RNS7 through RNS20 and RNS24) based on the needs identified by the breakout groups during the Colorado workshop. Due to time and budget constraints, Research Team members were not able to transform all research needs identified at the workshop into RNS. The selection of topics was based on priorities raised at the workshop. RNS were developed to cover an array of topics, modes, communities, and stakeholders. C H A P T E R   4

42 Rural Transportation Issues: Research Roadmap Four additional RNS (RNS21 through RNS23 and RNS25) were submitted to the Research Team for consideration by TRB committees [i.e., ADA40, ANB10(7), and AP055] or partici- pants [i.e., Dr. Fred Fravel] in the Colorado workshop. These 25 RNS are listed in Table 7 and full versions of each are presented in Appendix E. On October 11, 2018, the 25 RNS were forwarded to the project panel along with a survey requesting the following information: • Input on whether the topic should be included in the roadmap • Topic importance ranking using a 5-point Likert scale • Input on whether the topic should be included in the group of topics that will be presented to the AASHTO Special Committee on R&I on October 29, 2018, for “fast tracking” • If the project panel member is interested in being involved in the further development of the RNS Twelve members of the project panel participated in the survey. The results of the survey are shown in Table 8. Based on the survey results, the Research Team recommended that the RNS Title Colorado Workshop Notes/Outcomes Outcome Bridge and Culvert Vulnerability Assessment Software Suite • Add nonmotorized infrastructure • Topic is a priority • Examples provided in Alaska and Nebraska Became RNS1 (see Table 7) Rural Transportation Agency Marijuana Policies in the Legalization Era • Generalize to all illegal substances such as opioids • Include alcohol Became RNS2 (see Table 7) Force Multiplier Toolkit for Rural Traffic Enforcement • Consider splitting into two problem statements: one for roadway infrastructure strategies and one for enforcement/education strategies • Add more information about crash data and MUTCD Became RNS3 (see Table 7) A Mode-Neutral Guide for Rural Transportation Investment Analysis • No significant comments Became RNS4 (see Table 7) Effects of Rural Rideshare on Public Transportation • Change the title • Rename rideshare to ride hailing • Rewrite so is not written as an “either/or” paradigm • Focus the effect on citizens and not agencies Became RNS5 (see Table 7) Traffic Management for Rural Tourism Communities • The TRB ADA40 RNS is more of a priority • Revise TRB ADA40 RNS instead Removed and replaced with RNS21 by TRB ADA40 (see Table 7) Cumulative Effects of Underinvestment in Rural Transportation • Needs to be rewritten looking forward • Look at investment, not underinvestment Became RNS6 (see Table 7) Table 6. Seven original RNS.

Conclusions and Suggestions 43   following RNS be expanded into full NCHRP problem statements and be presented at the AASHTO Special Committee on R&I meeting: • RNS1: Bridge and Culvert Vulnerability Assessment Suite • RNS2: Effectiveness of Zero-Tolerance Drug/Alcohol Policies • RNS4: Multimodal Investment Analysis Guide • RNS17: Rural Tourism Natural Disaster Recovery • RNS18: Overcoming Smartphone Barriers to Transit Use Although these were the recommendations based on the survey rankings, the results were discussed with the CRP Project Manager and the project panel chair, who had the final decision on the projects to be expanded and moved forward. Item Project ID Description Source RNS1 WC-IR-03 Bridge and Culvert Vulnerability Assessment Software Suite A RNS2 LE-ML-02 Effectiveness of Zero-Tolerance Drug and Alcohol Policies for Rural Transportation Agencies A RNS3 LE-TE-06 Force Multiplier Toolkit for Rural Traffic Safety Enforcement A RNS4 FP-EI-02 Trade-off Analysis: A Multimodal Guide for Rural Transportation Investment Analysis A RNS5 TAM-RV-02 Modern Approaches to Ride Hailing Services for Rural Communities A RNS6 FP-EI-03 Cumulative Effects of Investment in Rural Transportation A RNS7 S-SSM-07 Simplified Centerline Marking for Two-lane Paved Rural Highways A RNS8 Winter Maintenance of Unpaved Roads: Existing Practices A RNS9 RPM-TC-03 Traffic Impacts of Energy Development on Rural Roadways A RNS10 WC-Ge-06 Structural and Seismic Risks to Rural Roads and Bridges in Petroleum and Natural Gas Extraction Areas A RNS11 Rural Transit Funding Policy Review A RNS12 PT-F-01 Innovative Revenue Sources for Rural Transit Systems A RNS13 Autonomous Vehicles and the Non-Driving Functions of Rural Public Transit Operators A RNS14 FP-GF-10 Making the Rural to Urban Transit Transition A RNS15 LE-HT-06 Human Trafficking Intervention Guide for Rural and Tribal Transportation Agencies A RNS16 S-DD-02 Trends and Characteristics of Distracted Driving Crashes on Rural “Non-Occupants” A RNS17 WC-OR-06 Bouncing Back from Natural Disasters in Tourism-Dependent Rural Communities A RNS18 DE-EEL-02 Overcoming Smartphone-Related Barriers to Ride Hailing and Public Transportation for Elderly A RNS19 DE-YEL-07 Effects in Rural Areas of Generational Changes in Obtaining Driver’s Licenses A RNS20 PT-PR-01 Exploring the Value of Passenger Rail Service in Rural Network Access A RNS21 EDT-FR-01 Accessing America’s Great Outdoors: Understanding Recreational Travel Patterns, Demand, and Future Investment Needs for Federal and State Transportation Systems B RNS22 RI-UR-06 MIRE Data Requirements Supporting Safety Improvements on Unpaved Roads C RNS23 PT-IB-01 Development and Implementation of a National Intercity Bus Atlas D RNS24 PT-IB-08 Innovative Business Models for Rural Intercity Passenger Transportation A RNS25 TAM-MM-04 Development and Implementation of Multimodal Trip Planning and Booking, Merging Fixed Route to Demand-Response Services E Source Codes: A: NCHRP Project 20-122 Research Team B: TRB Committee on Transportation Needs of National Parks and Public Lands (ADA40) C: TRB Subcommittee on Rural Road Safety Policy [(ANB10(7)] D: Dr. Fred Fravel E: TRB Committee on Rural and Intercity Bus Transportation (AP055) Table 7. Proposed early action RNS.

44 Rural Transportation Issues: Research Roadmap After reviewing the information, the CRP Project Manager and the project panel chair recommended that seven RNS be submitted to the AASHTO Special Committee on R&I for consideration. The CRP Project Manager and the project panel chair chose these seven RNS as they were representative of the thematic areas identified in the research at that point. They also concluded that all seven were suitable for the AASHTO Special Committee on R&I to consider submitting into the regular NCHRP process for fiscal year 2020 funding. Further, RNS23 and RNS25 could be considered by the AASHTO Special Committee on R&I for off-cycle funding, as significant progress could be achieved in the next 18 to 24 months. The following RNS were selected: • RNS2: Effectiveness of Zero-Tolerance Drug and Alcohol Policies for Rural Transportation Agencies • RNS3: Force Multiplier Toolkit for Rural Traffic Safety Enforcement • RNS4: Trade-off Analysis: A Multimodal Guide for Rural Transportation Investment Analysis • RNS21: Accessing America’s Great Outdoors: Understanding Recreational Travel Patterns, Demand and Future Investment Needs for Federal, State, and Tribal Transportation Systems • RNS22: Model Inventory of Roadway Elements (MIRE) Data Requirements Supporting Safety Improvements on Unpaved Roads Statement # Title Include in Roadmap (Yes+Not Sure) Mean Importance Score Include in Early Action (Yes + Not Sure) Weighted Rank RNS4 Multi-Modal Investment Analysis Guide 92% 4.09 91.0% 1 RNS2 Effectiveness of Zero Tolerance Drug/Alcohol Policies 67% 4.38 88.0% 2 RNS1 Bridge & Culvert Vulnerability Assessment Suite 50% 4.17 83.0% 3 RNS18 Overcoming Smartphone Barriers to Transit Use 58% 4.29 71.4% 4 RNS17 Rural Tourism Natural Disaster Recovery 83% 4.10 70.0% 5 RNS22 MIRE Data Requirements - Unpaved Roads 92% 3.82 81.8% 6 RNS6 Cumulative Effects of Rural Transportation Investment 67% 4.13 63.0% 7 RNS3 Rural Enforcement Force Multiplier Toolkit 75% 3.89 67.0% 8 RNS15 Human Trafficking Intervention Guide 83% 3.70 60.0% 9 RNS21 Recreational Travel Patterns and Needs 100% 3.82 58.3% 10 RNS11 Rural Transit Funding Policy Review 83% 3.90 50.0% 11 RNS5 Ride Hailing for Rural Communities 67% 3.50 63.0% 12 RNS16 Distracted Driving Crashes - Non-Occupants 83% 3.80 60.0% 13 RNS25 Multi-Modal Trip Planning/Booking Fixed Rte & Demand Response 67% 3.38 62.5% 14 RNS24 Innovative Rural Intercity Bus Business Models 75% 3.33 55.6% 15 RNS7 Simplified Rural Centerline Marking 67% 3.63 50.0% 16 RNS23 Intercity Bus Atlas 83% 3.20 50.0% 17 RNS20 Value of Rural Passenger Rail Service 75% 3.33 55.6% 18 RNS14 Making the Rural to Urban Transit Transition 75% 3.25 38.0% 19 RNS12 Innovative Revenue Sources for Rural Transit 67% 3.88 38.0% 20 RNS8 Unpaved Roads Winter Maintenance 83% 3.20 40.0% 21 RNS10 Seismic & Structural Effects of Energy Development 67% 3.13 38.0% 22.5 RNS9 Traffic Impacts of Energy Development 67% 3.13 38.0% 22.5 RNS19 Generational Change - Rural Driver Licensing 50% 2.50 33.3% 24 RNS13 AVs and Non-Driving Functions of Rural Transit Operators 50% 2.75 13.0% 25 Table 8. Results of RNS rankings by project.

Conclusions and Suggestions 45   • RNS23: Development and Implementation of a National Intercity Bus Atlas • RNS25: Enabling On-demand, Multimodal Trips to be Booked in Real-time in Rural America More information is provided in the Problem Statement section of this chapter. Database All research needs collected through the environmental scan, literature review, stakeholder workshops, and TRB committees were input into a database. This database was sorted by rural transportation theme. The research needs were then reviewed for the following: • Duplications • Needs not rural specific • Issues that were not research but indicated a need for wider dissemination of existing research results • Existing or ongoing research on the topic • Relevance Research needs were then combined, removed, or revised as needed. Many research needs were also recategorized into different themes and subcategories to create consistency. The information from this database was then used for the portfolios. Portfolios of Themed Research Because the objective of the roadmap was to identify critical rural transportation issues that can be addressed by research through NCHRP and other research programs, there was a need to provide this information in a usable format. The database provided an easy way to continue to update the roadmap information. However, it was not a user-friendly method or format for distributing the research needs to those (e.g., TRB committees, state DOTs, AASHTO committees, and universities) who may be willing to expand them into RNS and problem statements for funding submissions. Therefore, the Research Team created portfolios of themed research for the 15 rural transportation themes, using the process described in the following sections. Project Identification Every research need provided in the portfolio was given a number, name, rank, and subcategory. 1. Numbers. These are assigned as three separate parts. The first part is an abbreviation of the theme/portfolio name, the second part is an abbreviation of the subcategory name, and the third part is a number assigned based on rank order. For example, the top priority in the Rural Public and School Transportation Portfolio was RNS23, Development and Implementation of a National Intercity Bus Atlas. The number assigned to this project is PT-IB-01. This correlates to the following: – Portfolio Name = Rural Public and School Transportation = PT – Subcategory Name = Intercity Bus = IB – Number Assigned by Rank Order = 01 2. Name. This describes the research need. In many cases, it was the original phrase submitted to the Research Team. As these needs are developed into RNS or problem statements, the name may be changed to a more descriptive title.

46 Rural Transportation Issues: Research Roadmap 3. Rank. This assists with the prioritization of research needs and was calculated based on two prioritization exercises: (1) the TRB workshop dot exercise and (2) the spring webinar ranking exercise. For the TRB workshop, all research suggestions generated before the work- shop were printed on posters, and participants were asked to identify high-priority items by marking the most important items with dots. The resulting dot count was then tallied. For the spring webinar, participants were asked to rate each research suggestion by providing one of six possible responses: extremely important, very important, moderately important, slightly important, not important, or no opinion. Responses were then converted to a 5-point scale, with extremely important corresponding to 5 points and not important corresponding to 1 point. To ensure that respondents did not feel pressured to rate items that were outside their technical expertise, “no opinion” responses were excluded from the scoring. To allow the spring webinar and TRB workshop rankings to be compared directly, the TRB workshop dot rankings were mathematically converted to an equivalent 5-point scale. In both cases, participants were also given the opportunity to comment on the wording and content of each item, and to provide additional research suggestions. As a result, some research suggestions had multiple rankings (from both TRB workshop and spring webinar), while newer items added during the TRB workshop had only one score. The higher of the two scores was then used to create the final rankings within each of the research themes. 4. Subcategory. While each of the 15 rural transportation themes is unique, there was a need to further subcategorize them. In some cases, the same subcategory is used in multiple themes (see Table 9). Portfolio Layout The portfolio provided to the project panel was divided as follows: 1. Top Research Priorities for This Theme. After the research suggestions were sorted into rank order based on the higher of the two scores (TRB workshop or spring webinar), the Team looked for natural breaks in the rankings to identify a workable number of research priorities within each theme (typically about the top 10% of the research suggestions). Because it was most likely that the project panel would be choosing the top three to five projects for expansion, more details were provided for these top projects than for others. In addition to the infor mation provided for all projects (i.e., number, name, rank, and subcategory), these projects also included a description which was generally a one- to two-paragraph overview of the research suggestion. 2. Newly Proposed Research Suggestions/Titles. These research needs were new ones iden- tified through the spring webinar (unprioritized and therefore unranked). 3. Remainder of the Research Suggestions/Titles. This theme provided remaining research needs (not already included in sections 1 or 2), listed in rank order by subcategory. Original Portfolio Methodology The original plan was to provide the portfolios to the CRP Project Manager, the project panel chair, and the panel for review and prioritization. While all research needs were expected to be documented in the final report, the initial vision was to identify a concise list (three to five) of the top-priority research needs for each critical need category, which could be displayed in a roadmap graphic and drafted into RNS by the Research Team. This methodology was tested with the Rural Public and School Transportation Portfolio. Based on the review, the project panel chose, by consensus, three research needs as the top priorities out of 116 needs considered in the theme. These three priorities were recommended for problem statement creation. The Rural Public and School Transportation Portfolio was

Rural Transportation Themes Subcategories Active Transportation Culture Data Electric Scooters Infrastructure Marketing Planning Policy Safety Tribal Aviation Essential Air Service Frontier and Remote Communities General Aviation Ground Transportation Operations Cross-cutting Funding, Planning, and Policy Issues Economic Impact/Performance Metrics Frontier and Remote Areas General Funding General Policy Planning Driver Education and Licensing Elderly: Education and Licensing Youth: Education and Licensing Economic Development and Tourism Community and Economic Development Data Design Economic Impact/Performance Measures Forecasting Rural Travel Demand Partnerships Technology Tribal Communities Visitor Transportation Intersection of Health and Transportation EMS Planning Social Issues Technology Transportation for Healthcare Law Enforcement, Crime, and Drugs Human Trafficking Illicit Drugs Marijuana Legalization Traffic Enforcement in Rural Areas Traffic Incident Management Roadway Infrastructure and Balancing Capacity with Demand Asset Management Bridges Design Finance General Geometric Design Maintenance Unpaved Roads Rural Public and School Transportation Funding Human Resources Intercity Bus Marketing Modeling and Forecasting NEMT Passenger Facilities Passenger Rail Performance Measures Planning Policy School Transportation Tribal Vehicle Technology Table 9. Rural transportation themes and subcategories. (continued on next page)

48 Rural Transportation Issues: Research Roadmap Rural Transportation Safety Distracted Driving Environment Funding Rural Safety Improvements Geometric Design of Rural Roads: Motor Vehicle Traffic Geometric Design of Rural Roads: Motorized Vehicles Not Intended for Highway Use Geometric Design of Rural Roads: Nonmotorized Traffic Impaired Driving Multimodal Roadway Environment Safety Culture/Behavioral Safety Safety Data and Safety Management Safety Education Safety Planning Seat Belts Signaling, Signing, and Marking Speed Tribal Transportation Access and Mobility Multimodal Concept Ridesourcing and Volunteers Shared-Use Specific User Types Technology Including Connected and Automated Vehicles Applications Data Demonstration/Pilot Projects Electric Vehicles Infrastructure and Maintenance Marketing and Public Outreach Planning Rural Barriers Technical Standards Transporting Rural Products to Market Coordination Maritime Freight Oversize/Overweight Loads on Highways Rail and Intermodal Freight Safety Social Issues Trends and Competitiveness Truck Freight Weather, Climate, Resilience, and Environment Context-Sensitive Design Environmental Impact Management Geotechnical Infrastructure Resilience Maintenance Operations/Recovery Planning Prediction Transportation Health and Safety Tribal Workforce Development Technical Capacity Transportation Agency Recruitment/Retention Table 9. (Continued).

Conclusions and Suggestions 49   accepted by the project panel in May 2019 and distributed to relevant staff at AASHTO, APTA, TRB, CTAA, National Rural Transit Assistance Program (RTAP), and other organizations for sharing with interested committees and councils, for their use. The CRP Project Manager also briefed the TCRP Oversight and Project Selection (TOPS) Committee in June 2019. More information is provided in the Problem Statement section of this chapter. This portfolio can be found in Appendix F. Updated Portfolio Methodology After the methodology was piloted with the Rural Public and School Transportation Port- folio, five more portfolios were provided to the project panel for review in August 2019: • Transporting Rural Products (Freight) to Market • Weather, Climate, Resilience, and Environment • Active Transportation • Connected and Automated Vehicles and Emerging Technologies • Economic Development and Tourism At that time, it was decided that (1) the project panel did not have the expertise in all the remaining critical needs categories to continue prioritizing the research needs as was done with the Rural Public and School Transportation Portfolio, (2) it was more appropriate for the relevant AASHTO committees to have a final say in the priorities, and (3) even if the project panel could prioritize the top three projects, the project budget did not allow for the creation of additional problem statements. Therefore, the project panel decided only to review and revise these five portfolios. These portfolios can be found in Appendix F. Final Roadmap Portfolios To ensure that the information is provided in an easy-to-use way, the portfolios were revised to be separated only by subcategory and the overall project rankings were removed due to the project panel concern that these rankings may not be current. These portfolios are expected to be utilized for distribution during implementation of this project. All final portfolios in the roadmap can be found in Appendix G. Problem Statements In total, 13 problem statements were created for this project. More details can be found as follows. Problem Statements Presented to the AASHTO Special Committee on R&I Seven of the RNS were chosen to present to the AASHTO Special Committee on R&I. These RNS were then turned into problem statements by putting them into the CRP format and adding budgets and timelines to them. The problem statement title, budget, and timeline are shown in Table 10. Three of these were created by the Research Team and four were created by TRB committees or other outside sources. On October 29, 2018, the CRP Project Manager, project panel chair, and Research Team presented to the AASHTO Special Committee on R&I. The presentation included an overview of the project, definition of rural and rural transportation themes, progress to date, key issues, next steps, and a description of each of the seven problem statements.

50 Rural Transportation Issues: Research Roadmap The AASHTO Special Committee on R&I chose to move all seven problem statements through for potential FY2019 funding. In addition, one of the state DOT members on the committee was so interested in RNS21: Accessing America’s Great Outdoors: Recreational Travel Patterns, Demands, and Needs that this DOT later became a sponsor for that problem statement. Although all seven moved forward in the process, in the end, two of these projects were selected for NCHRP funding. • Accessing America’s Great Outdoors: Recreational Travel Patterns, Demands, and Needs. This project is now known as NCHRP Project 08-132. At the time this final report was written, a project panel has been identified and a request for proposals had been issued and completed. The estimated project start date was June 1, 2020. Additional information can be found at: https://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=4744. • National Intercity Bus Atlas Development and Implementation. This project is now known as NCHRP Project 08-133. At the time this final report was written, it appears that the project RFP has not yet been released. Additional information can be found at: https://apps.trb.org/ cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=4745. During the 2020 TRB Annual Meeting, the TRB Subcommittee on Rural Road Safety Policy [(ANB10(7)] also announced plans to modify the problem statement on MIRE Data Require- ments Supporting Safety Improvements on Unpaved Roads (RNS22) and resubmit it to the AASHTO Committee on Safety for further NCHRP consideration. Transit Problem Statements After the project panel prioritized the top three research needs from the Rural Public and School Transportation Portfolio, the Research Team then developed these into problem state- ments for possible submission to the FY 2020 TCRP if a champion was identified. The NCHRP Project 20-122 ID number, problem statement title, budget, and timeline are shown in Table 11. One of these projects was submitted by CTAA and selected for partial FY2020 TCRP funding: • Design Guide for Rural Deviated Fixed Route Transit Systems. This project was partially funded. TCRP provided $100,000 to begin the project and it was then sent to AASHTO to see if it would fund the remainder of the project. This project is now known as TCRP Project B-49. NCHRP Project 20-122 ID Number Problem Statement Title Scale LE-ML-02 Effectiveness of Zero-Tolerance Drug and Alcohol Policies for Rural Transportation Agencies $400,000 18 months LE-TE-06 Force Multiplier Toolkit for Rural Traffic Safety Enforcement $250,000 18 months FP-EI-02 Trade-off Analysis: A Multimodal Guide for Rural Transportation Investment Analysis $500,000 30 months EDT-FR-01 Accessing America’s Great Outdoors: Understanding Recreational Travel Patterns, Demand, and Future Investment Needs for Federal and State Transportation Systems $450,000 24 months RI-UR-06 MIRE Data Requirements Supporting Safety Improvements on Unpaved Roads $300,000 12 to 18 months PT-IB-01 Development and Implementation of a National Intercity Bus Atlas $600,000 18 months TAM-MM-04 Development and Implementation of Multimodal Trip Planning and Booking, Merging Fixed Route to Demand-Response Services $700,000 24 months Table 10. Problem statements presented to the AASHTO Special Committee on R&I.

Conclusions and Suggestions 51   The project panel chose to send the Policy Coordination to Improve Rural Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) Patient Care and Reduce Fiscal Risk problem statement to the TRB Executive Committee as one of four submitted policy projects. It should also be noted that the Guidebook for Improving Connectivity to Intercity Bus Services was not funded due to NCHRP funding NCHRP Project 08-133, “Implementing the National Intercity Bus Atlas” in FY2020. The transit problem statements can be found in Appendix H. Policy Problem Statements During the 2019 TRB Annual Meeting, the project panel was invited to submit policy prob- lem statements to the TRB Executive Committee Policy Director for funding consideration. Based on this invitation, the project panel reviewed all policy-related research needs at their October 2019 project panel meeting. The project panel prioritized three policy research needs and asked the Research Team to create problem statements. The topics included aviation, economic development, and active transportation themes. In addition, the project panel submitted the transit policy problem state- ment Policy Coordination to Improve Rural Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) Patient Care and Reduce Fiscal Risk. More information on the four problem statements can be found in Table 12. These RNS can be found in Appendix F. The next steps for these RNS are as follows: • Project panel review, revision, and acceptance. • CRP Project Manager presents the problem statements to the Policy Director of the TRB Executive Committee. • Project panel submits problem statements to the appropriate AASHTO committees for consideration. The policy problem statements can be found in Appendix I. NCHRP Project 20-122 ID Number Problem Statement Title Scale PT-NEMT-01 Policy Coordination to Improve Rural NEMT Patient Care and Reduce Fiscal Risk $750,000 24 months PT-MF-01 Design Guide for Rural Deviated Fixed Route Transit Systems $650,000 36 months PT-IB-02 and PT-IB-04 Guidebook for Improving Connectivity to Intercity Bus Services $500,000 unknown timeline NCHRP Project 20-122 ID Number Problem Statement Title Scale Av-EA-01, Av-EA-02, Av-EA-03, and Av-EA-04 Sustainability and Mode Choice in the Essential Air Service (EAS) Program. $750,000 24 months RI-Ge-02, EDT-CED-01, and EDT-CED-03 Clarifying Relationships Between Rural Economic Development and Transportation Investments. $750,000 24 months AT-S-03, AT-Po-02, AT-Po-05, and AT-Po-06 Realistic Solutions for Funding Rural and Small- town Pedestrian Infrastructure. $500,000 24 months PT-NEMT-01 Policy Coordination to Improve Rural Non- Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) Patient Care and Reduce Fiscal Risk. $750,000 24 months Table 11. Transit problem statements created. Table 12. Policy problem statements created.