Missouri OATS Transit Offers Transit and Social Connection for Rural Residents 

Farmacy Marketplace is a neighborhood grocery store that partners with local farmers through the non-profit In Her Shoes to provide community members with access to fresh produce and meat. Local grocery stores are emerging as a solution to food accessibility in rural communities and Black neighborhoods as dollar stores close shop. Similar locally owned grocers are also popping up around the country in cities like Detroit and Milwaukee.

Microtransit services like Bay Transit and Mountain Empire Transit are helping boost mobility for those living in rural areas who often lack access to transportation services. Microtransit offers on-demand trips that can be scheduled in advance or booked instantly for a fraction of the cost, as Mountain Empire Transit is fare-free. Since June 2021, Mountain Empire Transit has provided 55,829 to rural residents.

Athens’ poverty rate is 28.8%, making it difficult for some locals to afford cars and other means of transportation. BikeAthens donates bikes to those in need, hosts “Fix Your Own Bike Nights” and teaches classes on bike safety and how to ride to provide residents with an accessible means of transportation. The nonprofit donates about 100-120 bikes each year.

Crockett County, Texas, negotiated tax abatement agreements with wind energy companies to secure direct charitable donations that fund senior services such as meal deliveries, transportation assistance, and social programs. This has enabled older residents to "age in place" in this remote rural community despite federal funding cuts.

Desde Mi Huerto operates a seed bank that for 20 years has produced over 100 Caribbean-adapted varieties, allowing farmers and communities to access local seeds at affordable prices when other sources fail, thereby preserving agricultural diversity and strengthening food sovereignty.

South Dallas’s GoLink pilot program allows residents to book door-to-door transportation within a designated zone at much lower rates than traditional rideshare programs like Uber. The neighborhood now has the third-highest ridership in the metro area and sees roughly 220 riders per day.

The TriTown Connector is a microtransit service providing rides between three rural communities in western Massachusetts, with reduced fares for senior residents. Rides are scheduled in advance by phone and via an app, and the service has completed roughly 350 trips in its first month of operation.

Transit operations have been repurposed to increase access to COVID-19 vaccines among underserved communities in the Delta. A fleet of transit buses that were sitting unused at Mississippi Valley State University now provide rides to and from vaccine sites. Community activists, local transportation agencies, and philanthropic groups have worked together to arrange similar no-cost vaccination transportation for people who need it. The Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi made an initial contribution to support the efforts, though limited advertising has also limited the reach of the programs.

Evictions can have devastating effects on a student’s access to education, forcing some to drop out of school. In Delhi, a city in India, a school was built by students, community members, and volunteers using locally-sourced materials. The community had been forcibly removed from their homes, and the students were left without a school.

Women who faced difficulty getting to the nearest hospital when they were in labor, organized to raise money to buy a car that could be used as an emergency vehicle. Although having the car has helped significantly with accessing the hospital, it's not a fail-proof system and can be costly for the community to maintain. The state government was impressed with the scheme, however, and has launched an initiative that helps provide financial incentives to drivers for the program.