Research

Building a Better Bus

SURTC has been working with the Federal Transit Administration to bring together bus manufacturers, bus equipment manufacturers, transit agencies, paratransit agencies and others to design a better small bus.

The effort grew out of a study of the bus manufacturing industry conducted by SURTC and supported by the FTA. The study was aimed at identifying incentives to adopt new technologies and the impact that standardization of bus specifications would have on production efficiency and cost, according to SURTC researcher Del Peterson.

The study resulted in four basic recommendations for the industry:

• State DOTs need to better coordinate procurement efforts with local transit agencies so that specific vehicle needs are not sacrificed to attain volume discounts. DOTs should assemble groups of transit agencies to develop specifications for vehicle procurements.
• Transit agencies and DOT officials need to consider all factors, not just cost, while planning vehicle procurements.
• Transit agencies and procurement officials should consider the small bus market as three segments that include vans, cutaways and small buses. Defining groups of small vehicles used in transit and optimizing vehicles within each group will help eliminate confusion and duplication in the market.
• The FTA should develop a resource for small transit vehicle procurements that includes standards for the industry to follow. Standardization of vehicles would reduce costs and simplify maintenance. By clarifying standards, needs of transit agencies could be considered while allowing manufacturers to standardize various models and classes of small transit vehicles.

The FTA also has asked SURTC to gather input on a prototype design for a bus intended specifically for small transit agencies. "A transit vehicle designed to meet the specific needs of smaller systems will lead to gained efficiencies for transit providers while offering riders greater comfort with improved ride quality and greater vehicle maneuverability for operators," Peterson explains. The results of the study will be presented to the industry as a whole.

What Do "Small Urban" and "Rural" Really Mean?

When it comes to using the terms "rural" and "urban" in discussions about public policy and research related to transit, perceptions are important.

"What "rural" means to most people in Washington, DC, means something significantly different to people on the Great Plains or the Mountain West," notes SURTC researcher David Ripplinger.

He worked with graduate research assistant Natalie Beck and SURTC director Jill Hough to examine USDA, U.S. Census Bureau and FTA data to find definitions. "What we found was helpful, but inadequate," he says.

He used those definitions to develop a transit-specific set of classifications. The two-part classification will help distinguish rural areas within counties that may otherwise be classified as urban because they contain an urban center. Ripplinger is now looking at what transit services exist within the different classifications across the country.

Examining the Mobility of Rural Elderly Women

SURTC director Jill Hough studied the growing proportion of elderly women living in rural areas to assess their mobility concerns and needs.

As population across rural regions of the United States consolidates around trade centers, the proportion of elderly remaining in small towns and rural areas continues to grow. The situation is bound to have an influence on their mobility and the SURTC study should help researchers and policy makers assess the situation. The number of Americans older than 65 will more than double by 2030 and 9 million of them will be older than 85 years old. Hough conducted the research as part of her work toward a doctoral degree from the University of California-Davis.

She interviewed more than 1,000 women, half living in rural areas and half living in small urban areas. The research focused on women because their need for mobility is often particularly acute in rural areas. Women tend to live longer than men and many widowed women live alone. Studies also indicate that women tend to have more health-related problems that impact their driving.

Hough says the research examined factors that influence the mobility of women living in rural areas such as social networks (family, friends, neighbors, etc.) and environmental factors.

The research showed levels of mental acuity and self-efficacy (confidence in their abilities) have a significant impact on mobility. Those with high levels of mental acuity and self-efficacy tend to have an easier time of accomplishing desired mobility and have a lower level of desired mobility, Hough explains.

"Consequently, activities that keep women working on their mental acuity and staving off the effects of aging could have a significant impact on individuals' ability to achieve their desired levels of mobility," Hough says.

Likewise, efforts designed to help elderly women stay confident in their driving skills are important. Hough says women frequently decide to stop driving at a younger age than men. "If we can keep them driving safely and maintain their confidence in their abilities, we may be able to help them maintain their mobility."

In rural areas, the physical environment is often a barrier to mobility. Women may live in desolate locations with few services. Weather can make any travel difficult. Hough says community efforts to maintain services are important. Multi-purpose stores offering multiple services such as a pharmacy, grocery story and restaurant could help minimize travel needs. At the same time community transit efforts can play a key role.

"Finally, we found that women's social network is very important to mobility," she says. "Many rely on family and friends for mobility, but we found that it was also important for many women to rely on their larger social network," Hough said.