Four Top Rural Transportation Issues

The environment, safety, special events and public image are all top issues for city and county rural transportation departments.

In rural settings, not all roads, meeting areas and parking lots are paved. With the space and serenity of living outside of the bustling metropolitan areas, dust control and dirt roads are a fact of life. Elected officials and community residents alike are concerned with these four top rural transportation issues of city and county departments.

Environment
Ensuring the demands of modern travelers are met and safeguarding the lands that are in our care is a challenge. Many products can be applied to roads and parking lots to stabilize the soil and reduce blowing dust, but how do they interact with the vegetation and wildlife? Is care taken by the companies applying it to ensure that excess product is not spread too wide? What happens to the product when it rains? These are a few questions to ask as caretakers of the land.

Safety
Safe travel for residents, school buses and visitors is a primary concern. This means that dirt roads and parking lots should be regularly maintained and treated to stabilize the soil and prevent blowing dust. This is especially important for the high traffic streets and roads like:

• bus routes
• parking lots
• main thoroughfares
• campsite access roads

Ensuring that travel hazards like potholes and wash boarding are addressed will reduce the costs of upkeep and make roads and lots safer.

Special Events
When the normal traffic is doubled or even tripled by special events like Rodeos, Jamborees, Pow Wows, Family Reunions and Weddings, parking lots and dirt roads can be less than inviting. Preparing ahead of such large events can make everything run smoother. Making the transportation department a part of the planning can reduce last minute panic when a road’s condition is a concern.

Public Image
How do you reduce the number of resident and visitor complaints? By proactively addressing known trouble spots. If a town, camping area or national park is known for having roads that are challenging, it may discourage the less adventurous visitors or residents. When you’re trying to build up the tourist revenue for your area, you want to eliminate any concerns that the public may have. Stabilizing a road can even help prevent minor wash outs during the monsoon season.

Let Desert Mountain Corporation help your rural community resolve these issues by providing dust control and road stabilization. Since 1990, we’ve been specializing in dust control, deicing and soil stabilization. We have the expertise and products to resolve your concerns.  Contact us for more information.