About

The Rural Opportunities to Use Transportation for Economic Success (ROUTES) Initiative is committed to addressing rural infrastructure challenges so that the needs of rural communities are better integrated into the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) overall mission to advance safety; move people and goods; and build big and beautiful infrastructure. 

Achieving DOT’s mission requires active consideration of rural communities in local, regional, and national policy and funding decisions. To make this happen, the ROUTES Initiative works to:

• Ensure that DOT policies and programs are aligned to support the unique infrastructure and mobility challenges of rural communities, and
• Increase the capacity of rural communities to plan, fund, and deliver transformative infrastructure and a mobility network that serves all residents.

Since codification in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in December 2021, the ROUTES Initiative has conducted outreach, technical assistance, and resource and policy development. DOT’s rural framework is based on the importance of engaging rural communities, harmonizing DOT programs, and utilizing a whole-of government approach. The ROUTES Initiative will further refine these strategies to better focus our efforts to address disparities in rural transportation infrastructure and improve safety and economic competitiveness.