Several media outlets have recently featured articles about travel training programs and their benefits in helping people live independently. In April, Metro Magazine’s website featured an article about Southern California’s Torrance Transit and their extremely successful Senior Ambassador program which trains area seniors about the system. In late June, Karen Farkas of the Cleveland Plain Dealer wrote of Lake County, Ohio’s Laketran travel training program: “trainers help the elderly and people with disabilities become less dependent on dial-a-ride services by learning how to navigate fixed bus routes.“

The same day, DisabilityScoop.com responded to Farkas’ article with a post titled: “Travel Trainers Help People With Disabilities Gain Independence.” The author, Michelle Diament, highlights the shortcomings of ADA complementary paratransit services, saying, “while public transportation providers offer special bus service designed for people with disabilities and other special needs, rides often must be arranged at least a day in advance, limiting the number of trips a person can take and hindering flexibility.” Travel training gives people an opportunity to learn more about using fixed route services, helping them enjoy the spontaneity they provide over the strict scheduling limitations of paratransit and dial-a-ride services.

Travel training can have benefits for transportation providers as well, as Penny Everline of Greater Greater Washington points out in her July 8th article about the ENDependence Center of Northern Virginia's (ECNV) new travel training program. By reducing costly paratransit trips and increasing fixed-route ridership, travel training programs offer opportunities for budget-strapped transit providers to improve relations with their customers while reducing costs. For Torrance County, their training program has increased Senior ridership while decreasing some of its costs for the taxi cab program provided for seniors.

United We Ride’s various technical assistance partners offer a variety of travel training resources:

• Easter Seals Project ACTION, offers various resources for travel trainers across the country, including training courses, publications, sample curricula, and an online travel training community. Visit the Project ACTION Travel Training site for more information or read more about Project ACTIONS specific travel training resources here.
• The National Center on Senior Transportation (NCST) has materials related to mobility management and training resources for caregivers. Visit the NCST’s Training or Transportation Solutions for Caregivers pages for more information.
• The Community Transportation Association, with the Partnership for Mobility Management, presented a session at their annual EXPO in May called “Travel Instruction: Your Ticket to Ride.” View the video on the Partnership’s site.

For travel trainers and training instructors who wish to develop their professional skills and meet other members of the burgeoning profession, the Association of Travel Instruction, a national professional organization for travel trainers, offers a variety of resources to members and is holding its annual conference this year August 13-15 in Baltimore, Maryland. Visit the ATI website for more information.