On April 10, 2019 the NADO Research Foundation held the final installment of its transportation and economic development virtual peer exchange series, which explored how rural and small urban communities are using transportation technologies to improve mobility, streamline and strengthen traditional transit service, and invigorate their economies. Through presentations and interviews, speakers shared how they are using software to deploy ridesharing services, partnering with social service providers and national ridesharing companies, integrating app-based technology into public transit operations, and helping to grow the drone industry in their regions. Approximately 30 participants were given practical tips for creating fertile environments for these innovations and had the chance to apply them to their own work through a transportation technology-focused SWOT exercise, a “pair and share” activity, and a peer coaching session where attendees brainstormed action steps that local, regional, and state agencies and stakeholders could take to foster the adoption of these innovations where they live. The materials from the event are available on www.RuralTransportation.org:
This training was the last installment of On the Road to Prosperity: Fostering Collaborative Transportation and Economic Development Planning, a series of virtual peer exchanges exploring how transportation and economic development planning practitioners can work together to maximize the economic impact of infrastructure investments, grow businesses and jobs, and strengthen the livability and vitality of communities and regions. These peer exchanges were conducted with support from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
