Hegland to participate on Montana RTAP committee

Gary Hegland was named as ad hoc member to the Montana RTAP advisory board at a two-day meeting held Oct. 9-10 in Helena, Mont. This is a four-member committee that assists programming and budgeting of the state's RTAP dollars. RTAP funds may be used to support non-urbanized transit activities in four categories: training, technical assistance, research and related support services. This program is a component of the Section 5311 grant.

Hegland earned his B.S. and M.S. in economics from NDSU. He has several years of experience working with transportation issues. Hegland has worked with SURTC for one and one-half years.

Peterson joins SURTC team

When Del Peterson was growing up in rural Minnesota, he learned how important transportation is to a community and to community building. In a North Dakota State University graduate class he heard John Bitzan, advanced research fellow with the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute, talk about transportation projects. Peterson's interest was piqued.

Today Peterson is an associate research fellow with the Small Urban & Rural Transit Center. New to the fast-developing SURTC program, Peterson is learning to implement the Geographic Information System into practical situations.

Involved in the James River Transit Project, he is figuring out the where, when and how of changing from an on-call response system providing senior and handicapped transportation to a regular bus system. He will also be involved in the North Dakota Statewide Mobility Plan and the Transportation Services of North Dakota Coordination Study. Among his research interests is the dilemma facing many rural states. The out migration of young people, the family support system that might have provided transportation to older or handicapped family members is gone. The need for public transportation systems to pick up where families can no longer provide transportation for medical, social and other needs is evident.

Peterson's background in transportation economics and policy provides some of his incentive to see projects move from idea to implementation, and move toward mobility for people and products.

He earned his B.A. in economics and management from the University of Minnesota-Morris and his M.S. in agricultural and applied economics from North Dakota State University.