Organizing transit in small urban and rural communities
By: David G. Ripplinger
Contributors: Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute
Series: UGPTI departmental publication -- no. 251; UGPTI publication -- no. 251.
Publisher: Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute, North Dakota State University
Published: 2012
Place of publication: Fargo, N.D.]
Language: eng
Number of pages: 54
Subjects: Rural transit; Finance; Mathematical models; Federal aid to transportation
Description: The justification of government support of rural transit on the basis of the presence of increasing returns to scale and the most efficient regional organization of transit is investigated.  Returns to density, size, and scope at most levels of output were found.  Cost subadditivity, where a monopoly firm can provide service at a lower cost than two firms, was found for many, but not all observations.  The presence of natural monopoly in rural transit in a strict sense is rejected.  The finding and implications are directly applicable to rural transit in North Dakota and should be helpful in informing future federal policy as well as rural transit policy, service design, and operation in other states.
Notes: "July 2012."

Includes bibliographical references (p. 51-54).

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