Excerpts: Transportation in rural America is at a critical juncture. Significant changes in population and economic base have occurred. And substantial loss of air, rail, and intercity bus services during the past decade has left many rural communities with limited access to any form of public transportation. A National Conference held in Omaha, NE, during August 1988, represented the culmination of a joint, 18-month effort of a wide range of participating organizations to address the mobility needs of rural America. After a review of changing rural structural trends and the transition occurring in the transportation industry, the Conference focused on the nine components of a national strategy which emerged from the regional symposia. Discussion culminated in the development of Recommendations for a National Strategy on Reconnecting Rural America. Conferees linked each of the following nine components to a specific set of actions, actors, and timeframes: 1. Foster public-private cooperation. 2. Mobilize support for rural passenger transportation. 3. Encourage community participation. 4. Define and coordinate complementary government roles. 5. Link rural transportation services into a transportation system. 6. Encourage market research and development. 7. Encourage diversification of funding sources. 8. Maximize flexible management of rural transportation. 9. Identify and eliminate regulatory barriers to cooperation.