These Roads We Share: Expanding Travel Training Across Rhode Island

Get ready for the next story in our These Roads We Share series which highlights the Rhode Island Travel Training Network - a statewide collaboration helping people build the confidence and skills they need to travel independently. The importance of travel training cannot be overstated, yet the staff needed to provide this support can be scarce. With an eye toward innovation, Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) and its partners created a uniquely coordinated model that offers tools and resources to support travel training for riders of all ages and abilities.

To expand access to travel training statewide, RIPTA partnered with school transition programs, senior centers and other community providers who work closely with riders every day. With guidance from a working group, RIPTA produced a suite of shared resources - including videos, a pocket guide, and customizable travel training presentations - giving staff the tools they need to help their own customers feel comfortable riding transit. These shared resources ensure that riders can learn from trusted local partners while still benefiting from consistent, high-quality guidance.

This episode highlights how the network can operate, from one-on-one travel training to group workshops to hands-on practice navigating fare payment, routes, and schedules. You’ll meet the trainers who guide riders step by step, the partners who make the network possible, and the community members who gain independence, connection, and new opportunities through mobility.

Watch the video! 

These Roads We Share continues to spotlight projects funded by the Federal Transit Administration’s Innovative Coordinated Access and Mobility (ICAM) Pilot Programs across the country—showing how collaboration, creativity, and community leadership expand access to transportation in ways that truly change lives.