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Title:

Consistently Inconsistent: An Assessment of Definitions of Rural and Travel Behavior Outcomes in Vermont

Accession Number:

01852285

Record Type:

Component

Abstract:

Existing definitions of rurality vary widely across state and federal departments including the US Census, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), US Department of Agriculture (USDA), and policymakers and researchers from numerous areas of study. Most federal definitions are applied at the census tract or county level which does not allow for an accurate portrayal of the nuances of communities and their travel behavior. The authors analyze vehicle miles traveled (VMT) calculated from statewide inspection and registration data under multiple definitions of urban and rural to better understand the potential implications of having a wide variety of definitions from which to choose when trying to answer a research question, allocate funding, or develop policy. Large discrepancies occur in VMT per vehicle and per person depending on the definition used, and common mindsets, such as rural areas being those that experience the highest VMT, are directly questioned. The results presented here suggest that multiple ways of defining rurality can conclude differing results, and that the way in which the authors classify rural areas should be reevaluated. By examining these data, it is unclear if these definitions are helpful or harmful, or if they should even exist at all at such a high level. If we cannot get a clear picture of the travel behavior or social characteristics of an area, it is unlikely that policies in any arena can be effectively targeted such that they would work for all communities deemed “rural”.

Supplemental Notes:

This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AEP15 Standing Committee on Transportation Planning Analysis and Application.

Report/Paper Numbers:

TRBAM-22-00854

Language:

English

Authors:

Quallen, Erica L
Rowangould, Gregory

Pagination:

18p

Publication Date:

2022

Conference:

Transportation Research Board 101st Annual Meeting

Location: Washington DC, United States
Date: 2022-1-9 to 2022-1-13
Sponsors: Transportation Research Board

Media Type:

Digital/other

Features:

References; Tables

Geographic Terms:

Vermont

Subject Areas:

Highways; Planning and Forecasting

Source Data:

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2022 Paper #TRBAM-22-00854

Files:

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Created Date:

Jul 19 2022 12:22PM