ACB Media Calendar

Rural areas make up only 3 percent of the entire land area of the country but are home to more than 80 percent of the population. Conversely, 97 percent of the country’s land mass is rural but only 19.3 percent of the population lives there. This program will highlight challenges in 3 areas, climate, navigating in the winter when snow, snowplows, and drifts bring along a whole new landscape. How does one navigate with low vision or deafblindness when sidewalks are non-existent and other landmarks are obliterated? There is urban, rural, and very rural. What does very rural consist of, what happens when you only have one street light in your entire neighborhood, who do you talk to when advocating for crosswalks and APS when no infrastructure exists? Sometimes it is about access, or improving safety other times in very rural areas all you have are portable stop signs that are move from site to site to affect traffic. How do you speak to MUTCD when there are no traffic engineers or traffic control devices? Possible solutions: In rural areas a group like the new Sioux Falls Active Transportation Board (ATB) which is is charged with coordinating and de-conflicting the recommendation from the overarching Pedestrian Master Plan, Bicycle Master Plan, Vision Zero, Safe Routes to School, and Safe Streets. Is there an entity like the ATB in your area, are they looking for candidates? Who do you talk to in very rural areas when an ATB does not exist? Are there ways to follow the money to see if any projects can be funded to promote better access or increased safety for pedestrians? Learn about National Rural Transit Assistance Programs. What can National RTAP do for you? Plus you will learn much more.