Inclusive Mobility Programs

Municipalities can devote staff resources to helping residents with disabilities, older adults, and others who do not have access to a car to travel to key destinations like jobs, medical appointments, and social and volunteer engagements – thereby benefiting both personal wellbeing and the local economy.

• Many Council on Aging and Senior Centers offer transportation programs themselves, coordinate volunteer drivers or subsidize taxi rides, and/or make a resources list of local transportation options for their community. MassMobility and MassDOT also provide support and resources to stakeholders across the state to address mobility barriers.

Case Example: Travel Training. Travel trainers help older adults, people with disabilities, and others gain the skills and knowledge they need to ride fixed-route public transit independently and safely. Travel trainers customize their training to the individual; some may only need a quick overview on how to pay the fare and how to signal for your bus stop, while others might need multiple sessions of riding alongside the travel trainer.

Many transit authorities in Massachusetts offer travel instruction programs, as do some human service agencies and schools.

Learn more here: https://www.mass.gov/service-details/learn-to-ride-transit-with-travel-instruction

Case Example: Safe driving workshops. The Massachusetts RMV offers free, one-hour safe driving workshops across the state. Interested communities can work with the RMV to provide workshops on issues facing older drivers, their families, and caregivers.

Learn more here: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/older-drivers

• In addition to offering programs to make mobility options more inclusive, local stakeholders can participate actively in their regional transit authority and advocate for changes.

MassMobility is a great resources to learn more about increasing transportation options.

Learn more here: https://www.mass.gov/human-service-agencies-and-community-transportation