October 24, 2019 - 2:29pm -- stewart.1818@osu.edu

Rural Transportation Programs and Their Benefits Fact Sheet Now Available

The potential impacts of transportation in community  and economic development are discussed in a new Fact Sheet from Ohio State University Extension.

Transportation may play a key role in community and economic development from a variety of angles. From a traditional economic development perspective, access to public transportation may increase productivity, or enhance jobs and labor market accessibility (Dowell, 2017). Expanding existing or providing new transportation resources may result in an expansion of area’s labor pool as well as additional employment options to workers.

From a community development perspective, transportation access may impact the well-being of rural residents by providing access to food, social support, education, employment, and recreation and community services. As an identified social determinant of health, access to high-quality affordable transportation is fundamental to mental, physical and emotional well-being (Henning-Smith & Evenson & Kozhimannil, 2017). Access to transportation in rural communities is also an important tool in reducing social isolation for groups such as older adults and people with disabilities.

Read the entire Fact Sheet