Access to Jobs, Economic Opportunities, and Education in Rural Areas (2023)

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41   In conclusion, rural access and connectivity needs are complex and can be challenging to address, with the following major challenges in infrastructure and local conditions. • Quality and availability of supporting infrastructure. Because of low population density and other factors, many rural communities lack the infrastructure needed to ensure that resi- dents can easily and affordably access what they need. This is true not only of transportation infrastructure—such as roads, bridges, and transit—but also broadband infrastructure that supports solutions like telehealth and remote learning. Even when infrastructure is available, it can be unreliable due to underinvestment. • Impact of surrounding geographic, economic, and demographic conditions. The rural United States is very diverse, spanning from remote areas of Alaska and the Mountain West to small towns in Appalachia and coastal communities in New England. It is important to address this diversity and acknowledge the various geographic, economic, and demographic conditions that impact accessibility. Geographic access constraints can include mountainous terrain and long travel distances. Economic and demographic constraints can include low rates of car ownership or high numbers of older adults who are unable to drive or use other forms of transportation. Organizations can improve their processes in the following five areas to facilitate better rural access and connectivity: 1. Coordination, which may range from informal partnerships for a particular process to codified, formal partnerships; 2. Rural stakeholder engagement, which can be improved through partnerships with local agencies, as well as processes that incorporate public input throughout planning and implementation; 3. Evaluation, including prioritization processes that provide access to funds based on rural access and connectivity needs, as well as methods to track progress and link decisions to accessibility objectives; 4. Staff capacity, which can be improved through training and staff support, as well as coordi- nation across agencies to pool staff resources; and 5. Access to funding, which is expected to improve through progress across all four areas but may also be improved through techniques to combine funding from diverse sources. A key takeaway from this research is that rural areas face access limitations that can be chal- lenging to address. The quality and availability of supporting infrastructure impact residents’ ability to easily access what they need. This is true of not only transportation infrastructure but also broadband service. Rural access is also heavily influenced by geographic, economic, and demographic conditions, including mountainous terrain and low rates of vehicle ownership. C H A P T E R   6 Conclusion

42 Access to Jobs, Economic Opportunities, and Education in Rural Areas This report provides a framework that planners and policymakers can use to think through access challenges. It also provides proven strategies and stand-alone resources that organizations can adapt to various scenarios. Future research could focus on emerging technological solutions to access challenges, espe- cially in light of changes in work, education, and health care travel patterns that have become prominent since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Broadband could also be a subject of continuing research insofar as it enhances rural access.