This study of rural small towns in the final quarter of the twentieth century is an example of futures research, a technology assessment, and a policy analysis. As futures research, it tries to sum up long-range trends affecting rural small towns and their potential functions in a period when the nation is making a sometimes difficult transition into post-industrial society. As a technology assessment, the study is concerned with the role which transportation has played, and will play, in the vitality, growth, or decline of rural communities and the quality of life experienced by their residents. Technology assessment is a subset of the larger field of policy research and analysis. The study is intended to inform and support the process of formulation of transportation policy as it relates to small towns and rural areas.