Chao unveils initiative to tackle rural transportation disparities

The Rural Opportunities to Use Transportation for Economic Success (ROUTES) initiative will analyze the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) discretionary funding and financing opportunities to ensure nationwide outcomes for rural areas’ transportation infrastructure, USDOT officials said in a press release…

Chao also announced the formation of a ROUTES Council, which will be chaired by the under secretary of transportation. The council will oversee the ROUTES Infrastructure Management in three primary activities:
• collecting stakeholder input on the safety and economic benefits of rural projects and the degree of assistance they require;
• providing rural communities with USDOT discretionary grant application information; and
• improving USDOT’s data-driven approaches to better assess the needs and benefits of rural transportation infrastructure projects.
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