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(L to R) Jennifer Mendoza, Sr. Director Rail Projects and Mobility Programs, Metro and Lilly Ortiz, Community Relations Manager, Metro celebrate the On the Move Riders Program winning Access Services’ Spirit of Accessibility Award, which honors persons and organizations that have made significant contributions toward making transit more accessible.
Photo Credit: Metro
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (Metro) On the Move Riders Program was recognized for its work to improve mobility for seniors in L.A. County as this year’s recipient of Access Services’ Spirit of Accessibility Award. Instituted in 2000, the award honors persons and organizations that have made significant contributions toward making transit more accessible.
Created in July 2013, Metro’s On the Move Riders Program works to empower older adults with the information and confidence to travel on fixed-route transportation within L.A. County The program hosts workshops, events, and tours to educate older adults on Metro’s transportation system. Riders 62 years of age and older who sign up through Metro receive discounted fares when using their TAP cards. The base fare of $1.75 drops to $0.35 off-peak one-way, and $0.75 during peak hours.
“Public transportation can be a valuable transportation option for older adults,” said Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins. “Metro’s On the Move Riders Program gives older adults tools and guidance so they can ride transit with confidence, be more independent, and access a better quality of life. I’m thrilled that our On the Move Riders Program is being recognized, and I thank Access Services for its partnership to give older adults greater access to social activities, healthcare, friends, and family.”
The program currently has 54 volunteers who lead 32 peer-to-peer travel training clubs. The volunteers who are referred to as travel buddies, work to provide monthly practice traveling on public transportation with the older adults in their community. The clubs travel to fun destinations on public transportation and are oriented to the bus and rail system. The clubs have many benefits. Not only do participants learn how to navigate the system, but they also make new friends, and are exposed to people and places that they may have never encountered.
To learn more about Metro’s On the Move Riders Program, please visit onthemove@metro.net.
About Metro
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) is building the most ambitious transportation infrastructure program in the United States and is working to greatly improve mobility through its Vision 2028 Plan. Metro is the lead transportation planning and funding agency for L.A. County and carries about 900,000 boardings daily on a fleet of 2,200 low-emission buses and seven rail lines.
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