Transportation to Support Rural Healthcare – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Transportation to Support Rural Healthcare.
Transportation for Rural People with Disabilities: Example Programs from Minnesota and Idaho
Results of a study examining two rural organizations in Marshall, Minnesota and Ketchum, Idaho and the ways in which they provide transportation services to individuals with disabilities. Uses data collected through interviews conducted via Zoom in May and June 2025.
Author(s): Katie Rydberg, Madeleine Pick, Mariana Tuttle, et al.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Results of a study examining two rural organizations in Marshall, Minnesota and Ketchum, Idaho and the ways in which they provide transportation services to individuals with disabilities. Uses data collected through interviews conducted via Zoom in May and June 2025.
Author(s): Katie Rydberg, Madeleine Pick, Mariana Tuttle, et al.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Thriving Communities Transportation Toolkit
A transportation toolkit that provides resources, guidance, and success stories related to transportation and infrastructure projects in rural and tribal communities. Focuses on finding opportunities, building teams, developing a project, financing, and maintaining infrastructure.
Author(s): Shane Hampton
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: Main Street America
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A transportation toolkit that provides resources, guidance, and success stories related to transportation and infrastructure projects in rural and tribal communities. Focuses on finding opportunities, building teams, developing a project, financing, and maintaining infrastructure.
Author(s): Shane Hampton
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: Main Street America
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Rural and Tribal Transit: The Federal Transit Administration Should Evaluate Its Efforts to Help Improve Accessibility and Service
Explores the primary federal funding sources for accessible transit for older adults and people with disabilities for rural and tribal communities. Describes the approaches these communities have used to provide accessible transit, and the challenges they have faced. Discusses how the Department of Transportation (DOT) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) have helped communities use funds to improve these transit services.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Explores the primary federal funding sources for accessible transit for older adults and people with disabilities for rural and tribal communities. Describes the approaches these communities have used to provide accessible transit, and the challenges they have faced. Discusses how the Department of Transportation (DOT) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) have helped communities use funds to improve these transit services.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Quick-Build Project Resources for Rural Transportation
Provides information on and examples of quick-build transportation projects in rural areas that are designed to improve infrastructure and address safety issues and accessibility.
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Development Organizations
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Provides information on and examples of quick-build transportation projects in rural areas that are designed to improve infrastructure and address safety issues and accessibility.
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Development Organizations
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Ground Transportation for People with Mobility Disabilities 2025: Challenges and Progress
Discusses transportation barriers for people with disabilities that require wheelchair-accessible vehicles (WAVs). Highlights accessibility of common transportation methods, federal policies and regulations, and recommendations to policymakers and businesses for increased accessibility. Discusses rural throughout.
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Council on Disability
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Discusses transportation barriers for people with disabilities that require wheelchair-accessible vehicles (WAVs). Highlights accessibility of common transportation methods, federal policies and regulations, and recommendations to policymakers and businesses for increased accessibility. Discusses rural throughout.
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Council on Disability
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Rural Transit Fact Book, 2025
Features national-, state-, and county-level information on rural transit in the United States. Includes rural and urban comparisons on demographics and transportation. Provides information for agencies receiving section 5311 funding and includes a section on tribal transit.
Author(s): Jeremy Mattson, Del Peterson
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute
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Features national-, state-, and county-level information on rural transit in the United States. Includes rural and urban comparisons on demographics and transportation. Provides information for agencies receiving section 5311 funding and includes a section on tribal transit.
Author(s): Jeremy Mattson, Del Peterson
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute
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"I Now Have the Freedom to Do What I Want, When I Want, Like Anybody Else": The Impact, Creation, and Management of Transportation Voucher Programs
Explores the impacts and implementation of transportation voucher programs supporting people with disabilities in rural areas via interviews with CIL staff and disabled voucher program participants. Discusses the experiences of rural people with disabilities and highlights benefits and challenges of transportation voucher programs.
Author(s): Luke Santore, Andrew Myers
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of Montana: Rural Institute for Inclusive Communities
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Explores the impacts and implementation of transportation voucher programs supporting people with disabilities in rural areas via interviews with CIL staff and disabled voucher program participants. Discusses the experiences of rural people with disabilities and highlights benefits and challenges of transportation voucher programs.
Author(s): Luke Santore, Andrew Myers
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of Montana: Rural Institute for Inclusive Communities
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Public Transit Supports for Food Access: 2021 National Survey of Community-Based Policy and Environmental Supports for Healthy Eating and Active Living (CBS HEAL)
Examines public transit availability and planning, presence of demand responsive transportation (DRT), and DRT services to food retail destinations in 1,956 municipalities. Provides data on demographic disparities in public transit access and planning, including rural-urban disparities. Discusses health impacts of access to healthy food and the importance of planning for adequate public transit.
Author(s): Brianna L. Smarsh, Young Shin Park, Seung Hee Lee, Diane M. Harris, Heidi M. Blanck
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 22, 240458
Date: 05/2025
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Examines public transit availability and planning, presence of demand responsive transportation (DRT), and DRT services to food retail destinations in 1,956 municipalities. Provides data on demographic disparities in public transit access and planning, including rural-urban disparities. Discusses health impacts of access to healthy food and the importance of planning for adequate public transit.
Author(s): Brianna L. Smarsh, Young Shin Park, Seung Hee Lee, Diane M. Harris, Heidi M. Blanck
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 22, 240458
Date: 05/2025
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National Aging and Disability Transportation Center 2025 Innovations Showcase
Highlights 6 programs offering transportation services that are innovative in accessibility, coordination, cross-jurisdictional boundaries, healthcare access, and technology, particularly for older adults and people with disabilities. Includes rural-focused programs in Michigan and South Carolina, offering lessons learned and advice for replication.
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organization: National Aging and Disability Transportation Center
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Highlights 6 programs offering transportation services that are innovative in accessibility, coordination, cross-jurisdictional boundaries, healthcare access, and technology, particularly for older adults and people with disabilities. Includes rural-focused programs in Michigan and South Carolina, offering lessons learned and advice for replication.
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organization: National Aging and Disability Transportation Center
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Nonemergency Medical Transportation: Leading Practices Would Help the Federal Transit Administration Evaluate Its Pilot Program
Provides an overview of non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) services and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) grant programs that can be used to support NEMT services. Evaluates the design and implementation of the FTA's Innovative Coordinated Access and Mobility (ICAM) pilot program, the only FTA program that includes NEMT as a primary objective. Discusses how FTA communicates the availability and use of its funding for NEMT. Offers recommendations for FTA related to evaluating ICAM and consolidating and publishing information about FTA funding for NEMT.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2024
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Provides an overview of non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) services and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) grant programs that can be used to support NEMT services. Evaluates the design and implementation of the FTA's Innovative Coordinated Access and Mobility (ICAM) pilot program, the only FTA program that includes NEMT as a primary objective. Discusses how FTA communicates the availability and use of its funding for NEMT. Offers recommendations for FTA related to evaluating ICAM and consolidating and publishing information about FTA funding for NEMT.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2024
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Last Updated: 1/13/2026