Types of Transportation

Rural community members primarily use six types of transportation. Depending on the community, some transportation options may be more commonly available than others. These include:

• Personal vehicles like automobiles, including vans and cars for hire like taxis or ridesharing services, and golf carts or all-terrain vehicles (ATVs)
• Buses, including those that operate within and between communities
• Pedestrian transportation, which includes walking and bicycling
• Passenger train service, including Amtrak or commuter rail lines
• Passenger air service, which can be commercial, private, or semi-private
• Boats, which may be personally owned or operated as a ferry service

Personal Vehicles

Automobiles are the primary mode of transportation in rural areas. Approximately 60% of rural counties have public transportation available and of those, 28% have limited service. As such, rural residents are more reliant on personal vehicles (cars, trucks, and vans) for their travel needs. According to the Rural Transit Fact Book, over 90% of passenger trips in rural areas occur in automobiles, and over 80% of rural workers commute alone in a private vehicle.

Some rural residents cannot afford to purchase or maintain a vehicle. For rural residents who lack access to a personal vehicle, or who cannot or do not wish to drive, there are other transportation options such as rideshare services and volunteer transportation programs. Where available, these services may offer greater convenience, accessibility, and flexibility compared to fixed route transportation services (which operate on a predetermined route and schedule). In addition, rural residents may use golf carts or ATVs for short trips around their communities, often using sidewalks and bike lanes to safely avoid traffic.

Buses

Many rural communities use buses, operating on a fixed-route service on a regular schedule. Unlike rail systems that can require large investments in infrastructure, local or city bus systems use existing roads and lower-cost bus stops. This allows for more flexibility when designing, scheduling, and changing service routes.

Intercity bus systems, which may operate larger charter or coach buses, historically served as a significant form of transportation in rural areas. Intercity buses can provide critically important links between rural communities as well as transportation to larger, regional transit hubs like airports. However, transportation systems are increasingly focusing on expanding routes between large urban centers instead of smaller rural areas. In addition, many transportation carriers that formerly served smaller communities are reducing services because of low ridership and decreased profitability.

Pedestrian Transportation

Biking and walking are increasingly important forms of transportation and exercise. However, many people living in rural areas are unable to walk to work or school because of long distances between destinations or safety concerns. The Federal Highway Administration has identified strategies to support pedestrian infrastructure to make it easier and safer for people to walk or bicycle in rural communities. Additionally, bike share programs in rural communities can make biking more affordable and accessible.

Passenger Air Service

People living in remote areas or places with very limited ground transportation access, like parts of Alaska, may rely on airplanes to conduct business, deliver goods, transport mail, obtain healthcare, and visit friends or family. The federal government provides a subsidy through the Essential Air Service program that is designed to support commercial flights from small communities that would otherwise have limited or no commercial passenger air service.

Passenger Train Service

Like buses, passenger trains provide vital transportation links between rural communities. The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, also known as Amtrak, is the primary provider of this service in the continental United States, serving 46 states and the District of Columbia. The state of Alaska also owns the Alaska Railroad, which provides intercity passenger and freight service. While many passenger train riders live in metropolitan areas like the urban Northeast Corridor, trains can provide affordable, accessible transportation for rural residents traveling into cities for healthcare, business, employment, recreation, and other services.

Boats

Particularly in some Alaskan communities with limited road access, boats may be an important source of transportation between population centers and services. In other places, ferries may serve as a link between island or river communities. Public and private ferry services are generally designed to carry both passengers and their automobiles. Waterways can also be significant sources of economic activity for rural communities from tourism, shipping, or fishing and harvesting operations.

Resources to Learn More

Access to Intercity Transportation in Rural Areas
Map/Mapping System
An interactive map displaying by county percent of population in rural areas with access to commercial air, intercity bus and rail transportation by year — most recent year being 2021. Filter options are available which cover populations living below their state's poverty level and other demographic and socio-economic information.
Organization(s): US Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics
Date: 9/2023

Bicycle Friendly America
Website
Provides guidance for creating a bicycle-friendly community which supports bicycling as a mode of transportation and for recreation. Includes examples of initiatives implemented across the country making it easier for people to use bicycles.
Organization(s): The League of American Bicyclists

The Critical Role of Rural Communities in the U.S. Transportation System
Website
Discusses the importance of rural roads in nationwide transportation networks, the disproportionate number of motor vehicle fatalities in rural areas, and the application of the Safe System Approach to ensure motor safety, better mobility, and productivity across rural roads.
Organization(s): U.S. Department of Transportation