Charting the Course: Understanding the Interconnected Challenges in Rural Transportation Infrastructure Across Washington State

Rural transportation infrastructure plays a pivotal role in sustaining economic development, enhancing quality of life, and fostering social cohesion in remote areas. However, a myriad of interconnected challenges severely impedes its efficiency and accessibility, posing significant obstacles to regional growth and connectivity. Addressing these interconnected challenges demands a systems-aware approach that informs ways to integrate sustainable funding mechanisms, innovative technology solutions, and collaborative governance and policy frameworks. The proposed study uses a mixed-method participatory systems modeling approach to identify, map, and structurally analyze the factors influencing the sustainable and effective provision of rural transportation infrastructure in the state of Washington. The key research thrust rests on the need to map and structurally analyze the interconnected challenges impacting rural transportation infrastructure in Washington State.  The related and overarching objectives of our research are: (1) identify the core transportation challenges impacting rural communities in Washington State, (2)map the interactions that exist between the challenges as an interconnected system, and (3) use this map of challenges to propose areas for future research and action that have the potential for cascading impacts.