When the Center for Neighborhood Technology released its revised Housing and Transportation Index last week, much of the focus naturally tilts toward cities due to the measurement of metropolitan areas. But CNT’s rural companion report on transportation costs in less-populated areas deserves ample attention as well. More than 1.6 million rural households do not have access to a car, making routine trips a strain on a family’s time and budget. For those who do drive, high gas prices take a big chunk out of monthly incomes.

Mayor John Robert Smith, T4 America co-chair and President of Reconnecting America, testified before a Senate committee today about the transportation challenges facing rural areas and small towns — and offered six practical suggestions for how the federal government can help them meet these challenges head-on. Far from being left behind or left out of federal transportation policy, Mayor Smith’s testimony provides a clear road map for boosting the economies of Main Streets across America.

T4America Co-Chair John Robert Smith Testifies before Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Calls for Bold New Agenda for Small-Town America. As the Senate continues to develop a revitalized, long-term federal transportation program, Transportation for America (T4America) called on senators to support a bold new agenda for rural transportation that would spur economic development in small towns and cities across the United States.

Is “livability” a valid proposition for big metropolitan areas alone? Some in Congress seem to think so, but we suspect that arises from a misreading of the term. Recently, some members of Congress have expressed concern that this initiative applies only to urban areas. The truth is that rural towns and smaller cities have just as much – and very likely more – need for funds to help create smart plans and to fund innovative projects than metro areas.

How could a new transportation bill revitalize rural and small-town America? That was the focus of a Senate Democratic Steering Committee briefing on “Issues and Innovations for Small Towns and Rural Communities” in the Capitol Visitors Center last Friday. Transportation for America co-chair and former Meridian, Mississippi Mayor John Robert Smith shared his perspective as [...]

A top priority in the transportation debate is addressing the mobility needs of the 56 million residents of rural areas and small towns in America – about 20 percent of the population of the United States. Rural areas and small towns often fall through the cracks of federal transportation policy, which focuses on statewide priorities for building new highways and often overlooks local needs and preferences. Transportation for America has been working closely with our coalition partners on this important issue for some time. Now, it looks like Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood is also getting on board.

Our current transportation program leaves rural communities stranded. Providing access to jobs and the economy is critical for these rural areas and smaller towns. With little local control over how transportation money is spent, local transportation initiatives are often made in small towns and rural communities with little attention to local preferences and concerns. (Download our latest policy brief on Transportation, Small Towns and Rural Communities.)

Please join Transportation for America’s interactive webinar on May 14 at 2 p.m. EDT to learn how federal leadership can reform transportation systems to benefit those in small cities, towns, and rural regions, and transform these smaller communities into centers of economic vitality, improved health, and livable places.

Turned off by the cost of long drives to big box stores or shopping centers, residents in small towns are helping businesses in their local communities by staying closer to home. (Associated Press)