The Recommended Action Plan is one in a series of interim documents for the Rural Applications of Advanced Traveler Information Systems (ATIS) project. Based on the investigation of user needs, a technology review, and concept development and assessment, the plan suggests a recommended direction for Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) deployment in rural and small urban areas (less than 50,000 population). Visions for deployment, developed by the project team, suggest a logical strategy that could be taken by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the public and the private sector to bring concepts from infancy to full deployment. These concepts fall into three categories defined through the user needs assessment: Emergency Response, Safety and Hazard Warning, and Traveler Services Information. This document also identifies and evaluates 25 specific action items that could be initiated by FHWA to promote and develop rural ATIS.