Rural providers face the inherent challenge of covering large service areas with low population densities, long distances to meet basic needs, and isolated pockets of poverty. As suburban microtransit has proliferated across the U.S. and been positively received by riders, rural providers are considering whether microtransit is a solution that could work for them. TRB will host a webinar on Monday, June 15, 2026 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM Eastern that will share the findings from TCRP Synthesis 178: Microtransit Solutions in Rural Communities: On-Demand Alternatives to Dial-a-Ride Services and Unproductive Coverage Routes. Presenters will share an overview of the state-of-the-practice in rural microtransit, in-depth case studies, and overarching lessons and themes seen across several case studies.
This webinar is sponsored by TRB’s Transit Cooperative Research Program.
There is no fee to attend this webinar. Registration is required.
A recording will be sent to all registrants after the webinar.
 
Webinar agenda and presenters

• Overview of the findings from TCRP Synthesis 178 – Alanna McKeeman, Foursquare ITP
• Perspectives on rural microtransit from the heart of Iowa – Julia Castillo, Heart of Iowa Regional Transit Agency
• Question and answer session moderated by Sandy Brennan, Foursquare ITP

The first 40 minutes of the webinar will be for presentations and the final 20 minutes will be reserved for audience questions.
 
Learning Objectives
At the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Identify factors to assess whether rural microtransit could make sense for an individual agency

 
American Institute of Certified Planners Certification Maintenance Credits
This webinar is approved by the American Planning Association (APA) for 1 Certification Maintenance (CM) Credit. CM credits provide continuing education opportunities for AICP Certified Planners to continue their professional skills and knowledge. To receive CM credits, Certified Planners should visit the TRB event webpage on American Planning Association and register their participation.
Please make sure that you register for this session and log in using the link that TRB provides to your email account. We use this as your record that you attended this session. TRB only maintains the records of attendees who use their email address to log into the webinar and cannot verify attendance of individuals who view the webinar without personally logging into the session.  
If you have problems reporting your CM credits or have general questions about the CM program, please contact AICPCM@planning.org.
 
Pre-registration is required. Once the webinar starts, you will be unable to register. Individuals that are registered for a webinar but do not receive their confirmation emails due to their organization’s internal firewalls should contact TRB Helpdesk for assistance in signing in.
View our FAQ page for more information.
Registration questions? Contact TRB webinar program.