Addressing Accessibility Barriers in Rural and Disconnected Communities: A Review of Modeling Approaches    

ABSTRACT 

Transportation accessibility is vital for rural communities' connection to essential opportunities like employment, healthcare, and education. At its core, assessing accessibility involves two key factors: the presence of sufficient opportunities and the accessibility of these opportunities via diverse transportation modes like driving, public transit, biking, or alternative means. Disparities in accessibility create 'opportunity deserts,' hindering social and health outcomes. This presentation reviews accessibility barriers in rural areas, focusing on the Southeastern US. It identifies the trends in how our understanding of accessibility has evolved over the last several decades and emphasizes emerging modeling approaches for addressing accessibility gaps. Furthermore, the presentation discusses methods such as integrating new datasets and socio-economic measures, modeling latent demand for accurate forecasts, and assessing the affordability of emerging transit solutions like TNCs and micro-transit. In a broader context, this presentation contributes to an understanding of how accessibility barriers affect diverse populations and informs the planning of equitable rural transportation systems.