Increasing Capacity In Rural Communities: Planning for Alternative Transportation

This technology transfer proposal will link service learning with rural multimodal transportation planning through a collaborative partnership between University of Oregon (UO) experiential learning programs and three rural Oregon communities. As this planning and technical support to rural communities occurs, we will take the lessons learned to create a tool kit for small communities to use in conducting multimodal transportation planning. The two primary products for this project are the: (1) Completion of multimodal transportation planning projects that increase rural community capacity; and (2) Creation of a tool kit, designed specifically for under-resourced, small communities, to be disseminated regionally and…

This technology transfer proposal will link service learning with rural multimodal transportation planning through a collaborative partnership between University of Oregon (UO) experiential learning programs and three rural Oregon communities.  As this planning and technical support to rural communities occurs, we will take the lessons learned to create a tool kit for small communities to use in conducting multimodal transportation planning.  The two primary products for this project are the: (1) Completion of multimodal transportation planning projects that increase rural community capacity; and (2) Creation of a tool kit, designed specifically for under-resourced, small communities, to be disseminated regionally and nationally.  Three further outcomes are: (1) Increased capacity for transportation planning in rural communities; (2) Increased capacity in existing transportation planning professionals working in rural communities; and (3) Increased capacity in young planning professional and graduate students.

This project will be led by the Community Service Center (CSC) at the UO and will engage two programs of the CSC.  Resource Assistance for Rural Environments (RARE), founded in 1994, is a field based service learning program, affiliated with the UO’s Department of Planning, Public Policy and Management (PPPM).  Each year RARE places 20 graduate level participants in rural Oregon communities where they live for 11 months while working for local agencies on planning and community development projects.  Community Planning Workshop (CPW) is an experiential learning program also affiliated with PPPM. Established in 1977, CPW is campus-based, with teams of graduate students working on projects for public and non-profit organizations. 

Product One:
Three community projects focused on multi-modal transportation planning have been selected as RARE host sites.  These projects include: a bike/pedestrian trails planning project with the City of Lebanon and Build Lebanon Trails, a local non-profit; a bike/pedestrian trails planning project with the City of Warrenton; and a transportation needs assessment for the Rogue Valley Transportation District. These projects were selected from a pool of applicants based on project feasibility, community support, and host agency support of the CSC’s service learning objectives.

In October 2007, three RARE participants will be placed in these three communities and will work closely with local community supervisors to complete planning projects that specifically address multimodal transportation planning.  In January 2008, RARE participants will be joined by a team of 5-6 CPW team researchers who, under the guidance of CPW staff, will provide technical assistance, research support and implementation of public involvement strategies.  The deliverables will be multi-modal planning and projects, specifically addressing public, bike/pedestrian and recreation-related transportation, in three rural communities.

Product Two:
We will capture the knowledge gained in developing the plans and projects and disseminate it both locally and nationally through the creation of a Tool Kit for Multimodal Planning Practices in Rural Communities.  The tool kit will contain ready-to-use materials necessary in multimodal transportation planning including: strategic planning process guidelines, outreach materials, public engagement strategies and methods, sample project designs, implementation and funding resource guides. The tool kits will be created jointly by CPW students and RARE participants and will be disseminated via regional planning and transportation conferences, professional networks, and rural community support agencies such as the League of Oregon Cities and Association of Oregon Counties.  This deliverable will build upon a workbook developed by CPW in its work with the City of Eugene, a project supported by OTREC.  We will take the learnings of that project, in a large community with many resources, and adapt it for use in small communities with limited staff.