On February 29, 2024, NNEPRA participated in the Ride With Me program hosted by GPCOG and PACTS

Through Ride With Me, transportation partners can coordinate and ride their route with older adults, people with disabilities, people of color, and/or individuals with lower incomes as an opportunity for those riders to share their experience, educate decision-makers about transportation barriers, and offer creative ideas to improve infrastructure or processes. NNEPRA was happy to participate for the second year in a row.

NNEPRA’s Manager of Passenger Services, Brian Beeler, and Grant Program & Compliance Specialist, Catherine Davidson, were joined by a visually impaired passenger. This passenger shared first-hand insight of her experience navigating public transportation in the region and beyond.

NNEPRA staff was pleased to hear that she regularly uses the Downeaster service to travel to Boston, and feels comfortable and confident navigating the train independently. Staff learned about features that work well (i.e., booking tickets through the Amtrak app, audio queues for upcoming stops, web-based information that is compatible with screen reader technology, etc.) and areas of potential improvement. NNEPRA looks forward to participating in the Ride With Me program, and similar programs, in the future.