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Travel instruction is designed to teach individuals with disabilities how to use public transportation safely and independently. Being able to ride public transportation increases employment and educational opportunities, promotes community involvement and enhances self-sufficiency.
Each NJ TIP participant receives:
• A personal travel instructor who travels on the bus or train to teach the participant to travel safely and independently.
• Individualized instruction in travel skills, which may include: traffic, vehicle and personal safety; trip planning; travel etiquette; emergency procedures and self-advocacy.
• Assistance in researching travel routes and schedules.
• A free one-month Bus Pass upon graduation.
NJ TIP one-on-one travel instruction is funded by NJ TRANSIT. Instruction is free with participants paying only the bus/train fare. To be eligible, participants must:
1. have a disability other than a visual impairment,
2. live within the Access Link service area in Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Somerset and Union Counties and,
3. be Access Link riders or have applied for Access Link. (Access Link is a special NJ TRANSIT system for people with disabilities.)
One-on-one travel instruction has five components:
• Outreach: NJ TIP staff contact individuals who apply for Access Link to discuss travel instruction as an additional option. Participating in NJ TIP travel instruction does not affect Access Link eligibility; customers can use both services.
• Intake Interview: Travel instructors interview customers in person to learn about travel goals, prior travel experience and travel instruction needs. The interview is usually at the customer’s home so that family and counselors may participate to share information, ask questions and voice any concerns.
• Route Check: Before taking the customer out for instruction, the travel instructor determines how to travel to the customer’s chosen destination. The instructor evaluates whether this is an appropriate route by walking and riding the route from the customer’s door to the destination and back. The instructor is looking for any environmental barriers or travel conditions that could impact the customer’s trip.
• One-on-One Travel Instruction: The customer and travel instructor ride the route until the customer masters all skills needed for safe and independent travel. The number of travel instruction sessions varies depending on individual needs: some customers need two round-trip sessions, others may need thirty.
• Follow-Up and Re-Training: After customers graduate from the program, they are followed for 9 months. NJ TIP staff members call graduates at 1, 3, 6, and 9 month intervals to determine how often the customer is traveling, if they are experiencing any difficulties and whether there is a need for additional training.
How Do I Get Started with One-on-One Instruction?
If you are already an Access Link rider or are applying for Access Link, you are ready to begin. To arrange an NJ TIP interview, call 1-800-955-2321, Option #1 and ask to be referred for NJ TIP Travel Instruction.
One-on-One Outcomes
• 150 Graduates, 94% continued to travel by fixed route buses and trains in the year after graduation.
• Graduates use the regular bus and train three times more often that they use Access Link.
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