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on paratransit Photo courtesy Riverside Transit Agency The RTA's program was funded through a federal grant and developed and marketed through multiple partnerships. "[The] customer contacts RTA, or RTA meets customers at a presentation," said Weaver. "Every client is unique, and barriers are unique, so we don't have a specific frequency or time spent on each person. It varies. Each trainer sees roughly one to two people a day. We also [work with] groups." The program was funded through a federal grant and developed and marketed through multiple partnerships. "We worked with Easter Seals Project Action and community and senior centers to develop the program," Weaver explained. "Our community activist group, TNOW, has been instrumental in promoting the program." Since its November 2011 launch, approximately 450 people have taken the RTA's travel training, with another 300 either currently in training or on a waiting list. In about a year-and-a-half, the program has generated 33,678 trips. Additionally, with the average cost of providing fixedroute service coming in at $5 per passenger compared with $26 per passenger, the RTA has saved approximately $300,000 alone this fiscal year. Furthermore, RTA estimates it saves approximately $14,000 a year for every fiveday-a-week rider who makes the switch from Dial-A-Ride to fixed-route services. More importantly, the program also saves the RTA's customers money. The agency estimates that a person riding fixed-route buses five day a week spends less than $300 annually for a disabled/senior bus pass, while that same person would spend at least $1,560 on Dial-A-Ride service. For all of these reasons, Weaver suggested that implementing a travel training program is a win-win for everybody involved. "Other agencies looking to implement this program will be pleasantly surprised by the results," he said. "Not only is it a good way to give customers a new sense of freedom and independence, it's also a great way to build strong communities and foster partnerships." For more information Please Contact us at Phone - (574) 825-4880 Fax - (574) 825-1750 Parts & Service - (574) 825-1721 51165 Greenfield Pkwy, Middlebury, IN 46540 - www.arbocsv.com JUNE 2013 mETRO mAGAZINE > 65