Jill Hough, director of the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute’s Small Urban and Rural Transit Center, is chair of the planning committee for the 19th National Rural and Intercity Bus Conference to be held Oct. 24-27 in Burlington, Vt. The conference theme is “Big Ideas – Bold Challenges: Rural and Urban Synergies.”

The conference will address key rural public and intercity bus transportation themes, including accessibility; rural transit policy and planning; alternative fuels; intelligent transportation systems and rural transit; regional systems; networks and coalitions; operations, safety and security; and tribal transportation. “It’s an opportunity for education and networking, and a chance to gain some fresh ideas and perspective on what’s happening in the industry,” said Hough, noting the meeting is held every other year and draws about 400 people.

More information on the conference can be found at trbruralconference.org.

Hough has more than 20 years of transportation research experience and has published more than 45 reports and journal articles in the areas of public transportation, low-volume roads, logistics and economic development. Her primary research areas relate to workforce development, mobility of the elderly and disadvantaged and transit planning and management. She instructs the graduate level course on public transportation.