Evaluating Efficiency of Rural Transit Systems

Rural transit agencies face unique challenges in optimizing energy efficiency due to dispersed service areas, lower ridership, and diverse vehicle fleets. Unlike urban transit systems, these agencies often lack access to tools that assess energy consumption and evaluate operational strategies effectively. This study aims to bridge this gap by developing a user-friendly lifecycle energy consumption calculator tailored to rural transit operators and applying the Mobility Energy Productivity (MEP) metric to assess the efficiency of different transit strategies.  The research will involve a comprehensive literature review, development of a lifecycle energy consumption framework, adaptation of the MEP model to rural transit conditions, and case studies with selected rural transit agencies. These case studies will test the tools, gather real-world data, and evaluate various fleet configurations and operational strategies. Findings will inform best practices and provide actionable recommendations for rural transit agencies to optimize energy use while maintaining or improving accessibility for residents. 

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $172,844.00
• Contract Numbers:

  69A3552348329

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Managing Organizations:

  Center for Efficient Mobility

  1111 Rellis Parkway
  Bryan, Texas  United States  77807
• Project Managers:

  Ocon, Monica

• Performing Organizations:

  North Dakota State University

  P.O. Box 6050
  Fargo, ND  United States  58108-60050
• Principal Investigators:

  Godavarthy, Ranjit

• Start Date: 20250301
• Expected Completion Date: 20260531
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers
• Source Data: 02-08-NDSU

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Energy consumption; Energy efficiency; Literature reviews; Research projects; Rural transit
• Subject Areas: Energy; Public Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01976234
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Center for Advancing Research in Transportation Emissions, Energy, and Health (CARTEEH)
• Contract Numbers: 69A3552348329
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Jan 13 2026 3:33PM