How is rural transportation planned for?
The structures of regional rural transportation planning organizations are more varied than metropolitan planning. Transportation needs in rural areas varies more than in urban areas, as planning agencies must take into account agricultural, natural resource, and geographic circumstances often not encountered in metropolitan areas. Therefore, rural transportation planning is less standardized than metropolitan transportation planning. In part, this is because the federal government does not mandate a specific planning process required to receive funding. Even though the federal government does not mandate a planning process for rural transportation, many states empower regional agencies to perform the task. If chartered by the state government, RTPOs are usually co-located and co-staffed with the region’s Council of Government (COG).
