The University of Minnesota’s Center for Transportation Studies (CTS) and its partners have awarded four small rural communities $100,000 each in grants to help plan community-shaped, innovative demonstration projects to address transportation insecurity.
Transportation insecurity—an emerging concept—refers to a lack of convenient, affordable, or reliable ways to reach needed services. Transportation insecurity can affect the day-to-day experiences of individuals and communities. Examples include:
- Being unable or choosing not to travel or make some daily trips.
- Experiencing uncertainty about how to reach needed destinations such as work, school, or health care.
- Missing or limiting opportunities and experiences because of a lack of resources or access to adequate systemic support.
Only proposals serving primary jurisdictions with populations of fewer than 50,000 people were eligible to compete for grant funding provided through a cooperative agreement with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) as part of its Mobility, Access, and Transportation Insecurity (MATI) program. Selected proposals, representing a variety of geographic locations, aim to address local, community-focused needs using novel transportation ideas that align with the FTA/USDOT’s emphasis on safety, innovation, and economic competitiveness. CTS and its partners will work with awardees to help develop their demonstration projects.
Phase 2 Award Recipients
Rural Autonomous-Vehicle Microtransit Partnership for Underserved Populations (RAMP-UP)
Location: Rockingham County, NC
Lead agency: North Carolina State A&T University
Team members: Aging, Disability and Transit Services of Rockingham County (North Carolina), Clemson University, and North Carolina State University
This project will develop a microtransit service for Rockingham County using connected and autonomous vehicle (CAV) technology. NC A&T and Aging, Disability and Transit Services of Rockingham County have a strong, established partner relationship. NC A&T also has a proven track record with CAV testing and is well-situated to provide a thorough investigation into what works—or doesn't—using CAV technology in rural settings.
Connected Journeys in Hillsdale County: A Model for Rural Health and Mobility Integration
Location: Hillsdale County, MI
Lead agency: Feonix–Mobility Rising
Team members: University of Michigan Center for Health and Research Transformation (CHRT)
This project will identify and fill service gaps in the existing public transportation networks in Hillsdale County, Michigan. The project offers an opportunity to explore how health care access and disparities can be addressed through a more comprehensive mobility approach. Feonix has delivered multiple projects that coordinate service and transportation for various groups and will be drawing on this expertise to evaluate how to best match needs with various services in Hillsdale communities.
Mobile Grocery Initiative
Location: Benson, Cavalier, Eddy, Ramsey, Rolette, and Towner counties, ND
Lead agency: Strengthen ND
Team members: Foundation for a Healthy ND, Multi-Partner Health Collaborative, and ND Clean Cities
This project will use an existing electric vehicle and EV infrastructure to provide a mobile grocery service to people with limited access to food in rural North Dakota. Strengthen ND offers a unique approach in bringing services to a population with a defined need via a grocery delivery/mobile market model.
Co-Transit: A Community-Driven Collaborative Paratransit System for Small Towns
Location: Pea Ridge, Arkansas
Lead agency: University of Arkansas at Fayetteville
Team members: Pathfinder, Inc., and City of Pea Ridge, Arkansas
This project will develop a community-driven paratransit app allowing users to provide each other rides with a community vehicle. By leveraging social networks and the existing mobility support provided by friends and family, the project aims to offer more stable and dignified “co-transit” built on community ties.
After a 9- to 12-month development period, one of the four demonstration projects will be awarded additional funding to support full project implementation.
About MATI
In early 2023, CTS and its partners were awarded $6 million by FTA to design and lead the MATI program. A previous award process is currently funding demonstration projects in several urban communities across the US. This second set of awards is supported by an additional $1.2 million in funding provided by FTA to the MATI program. FTA supports the MATI program and provides guidance but does not participate in project selection.
Learn more and sign up for program updates.
Contact: John Siqveland, CTS Communications Director, 651-746-9250.