Transportation is rarely an objective in itself, instead it serves as a means by which we carry out the activities of daily life. The transportation systems we build and maintain can be thought of as a skeleton around which our communities and regions develop and grow. As such, the relationships between a transportation system and its surrounding land use patterns influence a host of public and environmental outcomes, including air quality, energy consumption, quality of life, social equity, fiscal health, and public health.
Due to their small size and relative isolation, Gateway and Natural Amenity Region (GNAR) communities often have simple transportation systems that provide fewer ways to physically move people and goods (known as mobility) and fewer means for people to obtain a good, service, or an experience (known as accessibility). Increasing mobility and accessibility for people of all ages, abilities, and incomes is vital to communities of all types and sizes. GNAR communities also grapple with “big city” symptoms of a mismatch between the size of their transportation system and the number of users during peak demand. Resulting challenges include traffic congestion, parking shortages, and strain on infrastructure. The rural land use patterns typical of many GNAR communities present additional challenges, such as containing sprawl and moving large groups of people across great distances (e.g. visitors coming from a regional airport or workers commuting from a bedroom community). Funding to construct, operate, and maintain these projects is its own challenge. When GNAR communities attempt to secure public transportation funding that will accommodate both residents and visitors, they are confronted with a catch 22: federal funds come with the stipulation that a majority of transit riders must be local passengers.
Opportunities for mitigating transportation challenges range from developing alternative transportation infrastructure, such as regional bike paths, to increasing accessibility and improving communication to travelers. A GNAR community’s scenic setting makes it ripe for active transportation infrastructure. Active transportation can showcase local natural amenities while decreasing roadway congestion, reducing air pollution, improving public health, and providing a safe and enjoyable means of getting around for people of all ages, abilities, and incomes. Creating regional public transit systems also presents an opportunity to improve mobility while lowering emissions, decreasing congestion, and linking communities and their resources. Wireless communication strategies could improve accessibility and decision making for travelers. For example, a transportation app may help disperse visitors throughout a region, direct people away from busy destinations and trails, and provide real-time information about travel times. Finally, the interconnected nature of a community’s transportation system and the surrounding land use means that improvements to a transportation system will always reap more benefits when conducted in concert with land use planning.
Tools & Resources
Forthcoming tools and resources to be found in this section:
- Active transportation infrastructure for people of all ages, abilities, and incomes
- Designing and funding a flexible regional transit system
- Technology to improve community accessibility and mobility
- Regional collaborative transportation and land use planning
- Green and grey: infrastructure that serves people and the environment
Is there something you’d like to see on this page? Have you had a successful or challenging experience with transportation in your community? Contact and tell us today!