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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Transportation

Commuting in the United States: 2022
Offers commuting behavior trends based on data from the American Community Survey in 2019, 2021, and 2022. Table 1 includes average travel time to work data for metropolitan, micropolitan, and nonmetropolitan areas.
Author(s): Michael Burrows, Charlynn Burd
Date: 02/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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Seat Belt Use in 2023 - Overall Results
Examines rates of seat belt use and occupant fatalities from 2010-2023, and compares seat belt use rates from 2022 and 2023 by major characteristics. Features statistics with breakdowns including rural or urban location.
Date: 02/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
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Impact of Driving Cessation on Health-Related Quality of Life Trajectories
Examines the impact of driving cessation (DC) in older drivers aged 65-79 on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in rural and urban populations. Includes charts showing differences in HRQoL related to DC in metro core, metro non-core, and small town/rural areas. Discusses the impact of access to alternative transportation on mental health and HRQoL in older adults.
Author(s): Thelma J. Mielenz, Haomiao Jia, Carolyn DiGuiseppi, et al.
Citation: Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 22, 13
Date: 02/2024
Type: Document
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2023 Local Master Plan for Aging: Shasta, Butte, & Glenn Counties
Report summarizing findings from a needs assessment regarding challenges for older adults and people with disabilities in 3 California counties. Findings and recommendations discuss healthcare, housing, and transportation issues. Discusses rural throughout.
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Diversability Advocacy Network, The SCAN Foundation
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Mapping Access to Children's Hospitals in Texas
Compares the population of Texas children with the location of children's hospitals to assess distance to care, evaluate bed availability, and highlight areas of disparity. Discusses vehicle access, travel times, and rural health disparities.
Author(s): Shadi Maleki, Nathaniel Dede-Bamfo, Elizabeth Ekren, Milad Mohammadalizadehkorde, Melinda Villagran
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 21(2), 140
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
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Mitigating Cancer Disparities Through an Innovative Navigation Program
Describes the development and implementation of a population health navigation program to reduce barriers to cancer care in underserved communities in Western North Carolina and Northwest South Carolina. Provides data on rural program participants, including barriers to cancer care access, program impact on transportation needs and food insecurity, and rates of participation in clinical cancer research. Also covers Black, Hispanic, and adolescent and young adult program participants.
Author(s): Carla Strom, Emily Copus, Karen Winkfield
Citation: North Carolina Medical Journal, 85(1), 25-29
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
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Discretionary Transportation Grants: DOT Should Improve Transparency in the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America Program
Examines the Department of Transportation (DOT)'s processes to solicit, evaluate, and select applications for Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant awards in fiscal year (FY) 2022, and the extent to which DOT's evaluation and selection processes aligned with federal guidance. Includes information about the Rural Surface Transportation program, which receives INFRA funding, and statistics on number of INFRA grant awards in FYs 2016–2022, with breakdowns by urban and rural areas.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Supporting People with Disabilities in Rural Communities, with Rayna Sage and Catherine Ipsen
An episode of the Exploring Rural Health podcast featuring Rayna Sage, PhD, and Catherine Ipsen, PhD, co-directors of the Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities at the University of Montana. Focuses on the challenges facing rural people with disabilities and services and support systems that enable them to achieve and maintain quality of life.
Date: 01/2024
Type: Audio
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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"Patiently Waiting": How Do Non-Driving Disabled Adults Get Around in Rural America?
Interviews 33 non-driving disabled rural adults to learn how they move throughout their communities. Discusses the challenges of utilizing public transportation and their own social networks in a rural context. Offers policy recommendations considerations for rural inequities.
Author(s): Andrew Myers, Krys Standley
Citation: Transport Policy, 145, 55-64
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
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Transportation for People with Disabilities and Older Adults During COVID-19: Lessons for Emergency Response
Provides information on planning for transportation needs during emergencies and pandemics, with a focus on assisting older adults and people with disabilities. Discusses roles and responsibilities, personnel and resources, technology and tools, challenges and solutions, and strategies and sustainability, with reflections on issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Includes considerations for transit agencies in different locations, including rural and tribal.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Transit Cooperative Research Program
Date: 2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Transportation Research Board
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