Many worry over the loss of intercity bus and train service. But local, on-demand transit service is more critical for rural mobility.

No-build approaches and alternative technologies can reduce the cost of water upgrades in small towns.

The district is awash in expensive projects to bring water to sparsely populated areas. Are they worth it?

Somebody has to pony up billions of dollars to upgrade drinking water and sewer systems throughout the district.

Big pipelines aren't the only solution to the water problems of rural areas.

Food processing in the district is doing surprisingly well. But its future-and that of rural areas that attract food plants-depends on economic forces that run much deeper than the recent downturn

Rural telephone companies in the district collect millions of dollars annually in universal service subsidies. Has the time come to let them fend for themselves?

Proposed measures would curb the costs of subsidizing rural phone service.

Promoting groups of similar and interrelated businesses is the rage in states and regions across the nation. What's a government to do?

Given the state of rural broadband, extending universal service to high-speed Internet access may be premature.