Providing Capacity in Rural Communities: Planning for Alternative Transportation

Abstract

This technology transfer proposal linked service learning with rural multimodal transportation planning through a collaborative partnership between University of Oregon (UO) experiential learning programs and three rural Oregon communities. As this planning and technical support to rural communities occurred, lessons learned were gathered and will support future servicelearning projects focused on transportation planning. The primary products for this project are the: (1) Completion of multimodal transportation planning projects that increase rural community capacity; and (2) a website with resources for communities, faculty and students. Three further outcomes were: (1) Increased capacity for transportation planning in rural communities; (2) Increased capacity in existing transportation planning professionals working in rural communities; and (3) Increased capacity in young planning professional and graduate students. This project was be led by the Community Service Center (CSC) at the UO and engaged two programs of the CSC. Resource Assistance for Rural Environments (RARE), founded in 1994, is a field based service learning program, affiliated with the UO’s Department of Planning, Public Policy and Management (PPPM). Each year RARE places 20 graduate level participants in rural Oregon communities where they live for 11 months while working for local agencies on planning and community development projects. Community Planning Workshop (CPW) is an experiential learning program also affiliated with PPPM. Established in 1977, CPW is campus-based, with teams of graduate students working on projects for public and non-profit organizations. Product One: Three community projects focused on multi-modal transportation planning were selected as RARE host sites. These projects included: a bike/pedestrian trails planning project with the City of Lebanon and Build Lebanon Trails, a local non-profit; a bike/pedestrian trails planning project with the City of Warrenton and Warrenton Trails Committee; and transportation needs assessment for the Rogue Valley Transportation District. These projects were selected from a pool of applicants based on project feasibility, community support, and host agency support of the CSC’s service learning objectives. In October 2007, three RARE participants were placed in these three communities and worked closely with local community supervisors to complete planning projects that specifically address multimodal transportation planning. The deliverables were multi-modal planning and projects, specifically addressing public, bike/pedestrian and recreation-related transportation, in three rural communities. Product Two: Through the creation of a website with lessons learned and example projects, the knowledge gained in developing the plans and projects is being disseminated.