Abstract
The goals and objectives of providing public transportation services in small cities and rural areas are different from those of metropolitan regions. For the small cities and rural areas, the primary purpose is supplying transportation services to meet basic needs of people who do not have any convenient means of transportation. This group can be classified collectively as the carless. Carless simply implies that automobile transportation is not available. This group includes the poor, handicapped, elderly, and youth, as well as, members of households that do not own an automobile or do not have access to an automobile.
The mobility needs of the carless are examined in this review. The characteristics of the special mobility groups are studied. The emphasis of the review is on the planning process and operation of public transportation services in the small cities and rural areas. A summary of the characteristics of existing nonmetropolitan transportation services is also presented.
The state of the art in nonmetropolitan transportation planning is one of considerable disjointed effort. Although there has been careful planning related to the implementation of public transportation operations in the rural areas and small cities, little systematic development of goals, objectives, policies, and criteria could be found. The high per capita costs of providing transportation services to a small disadvantaged group require careful analyses with respect to the equity and efficiency of costs and benefits. In view of increasing competition of various public and social services for very limited funds, there will be greater demand for careful accounting and justification of public transportation services in small cities and rural areas.