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Travel Instruction Program

Travel instruction, or travel training, is one-to-one individualized instruction designed to teach seniors and people with disabilities (other than blindness or visual impairment) to travel safely and independently on fixed-route public transit. This type of transit includes buses operating on regular routes and light-rail trains.

Participants learn travel skills for following a specific route, typically to a school or a job site. Travel instruction professionals determine how different disabilities affect a person's ability to travel, and they develop methods to teach travel skills tailored to each person’s needs. 

Benefits of successfully completing a travel instruction program include:

• More choices and flexibility for travel
• Greater self-esteem and independence
• Better access to employment, job training, post-secondary education and recreation
• Significant cost savings: bus riders who have a Limited Mobility card or who are certified Metro Mobility riders pay only 50 cents per ride on Metro Transit buses at all times, while Metro Mobility fares for one way trips are $3.50 for rush hour and $2.50 for off-peak periods.

Individual assessment determines training needs, methods

Because travel instructors and trainers must have a thorough understanding of a person’s ability to travel safely and independently, they carefully assess each participant’s functional ability and skill level in a number of areas:

• Awareness of and ability to avoid danger
• Awareness of one’s surroundings and personal space
• Street crossing skills
• Time awareness and management
• Money handling skills, and
• Use of personal identification.

This assessment usually has two parts. The initial assessment is done inside the participant’s home, and the second portion takes place outside in the participant’s immediate environment.  In that setting, the travel instructor evaluates the participant’s pedestrian skills: awareness of traffic, street crossing skills and awareness of traffic flow.

The assessment determines the appropriate level of training that a participant needs, as well as the recommended level of independent travel once a participant completes the program. Some participants referred for travel instruction may require preparatory instruction in purposeful movement and pre-travel skills, based on their assessment.

Identifying the rider’s travel needs and goals

Once the assessment is completed and participation in the program is recommended, the travel instructor meets with the participant to jointly identify his or her travel needs and goals. The instructor then develops appropriate instruction methods to meet those needs and goals. Typically, participants learn the skills needed to follow a regular route for going to work, school, shopping or other routine community activity.

Safety: the top priority

The travel instructors’ top priority is the safety of the person they are training. If at any time the instructor feels that a participant’s safety skills are not adequate and that he or she is not capable of learning travel safety skills, training is ended and the individual is not recommended for independent travel.

Philosophy

Travel instructors and travel trainers recognize the significant role that independent travel plays in the overall growth and functioning of the individual, and are dedicated to helping each person reach his or her full travel capabilities.

Travel instructors believe that everyone who is capable should have the opportunity to learn to travel independently and to use public transportation to meet their travel needs. All persons with disabilities should be allowed the dignity afforded by independent travel and to accept the risks associated with such travel.

Ready to get started?

Download and complete a Travel Training Referral Form for the Travel Instruction Program:

• Travel Training Referral Form - MS Word
• Travel Training Referral Form - pdf

To have a Referral Form mailed to you, contact the Metro Mobility Service Center by phone at 651-602-1111 or by TTY at 651-221-9886.