The Las Vegas-based Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC), in partnership with Opportunity Village (OV) — a non-profit organization that serves people in the Las Vegas community with intellectual disabilities — launched the agency’s Mobility Training Center on the GO.

The specially retrofitted RTC bus serves as a mobility training lab to help vulnerable populations and those with disabilities navigate the RTC transit system confidently.

Training to Expand Accessibility Options

The Mobility Training Center on the GO is equipped to teach vulnerable populations how to use the RTC transit with ease and covers such skills as using the fare box, ticket validator and mobile ticketing system; how to safely enter and exit the bus; how to properly secure mobility devices; how to use the transit guide to plan routes, and more.

Training is specially adapted for persons with disabilities, seniors, and veterans and is designed to build confidence in using and accessing transit.

The RTC received funding for the project from the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Mobility for All grant.

The RTC worked closely with Nevada’s federal delegation and local organizations, including the Nevada Department of Vocational Rehabilitation, the Nevada Department of Employment Training and Rehabilitation, Workforce Connections, and OV, on the successful grant process.

“We are committed to helping our community access needed resources and gain the skills they need to travel safely and independently on the RTC transit system,” said M.J. Maynard, CEO, RTC. “By working with our partners, key stakeholders, and federal agencies, we were able to secure the funds needed to make the Mobility Training Center on the GO a reality for our community. We can’t wait to take our mobility training program on the road and into neighborhoods where our training is needed most.”

RTC Building on Training Initiatives

The RTC opened its award-winning Mobility Training Center in 2016, enabling customers to access full size transit vehicles, outdoor sights, and sounds, all indoors.

Customers learn how to plan their trips and navigate the transit system in a contained environment with a team of mobility trainers. More than 4,000 individuals have undergone mobility training and achieved a new level of independence.

With more than 20,000 RTC customers eligible for its paratransit service, the RTC provided 1.4 million rides in 2023 to individuals with physical or cognitive disabilities who meet the certification requirements outlined by the FTA.

Training provided at the RTC’s Mobility Training Center, and now, via its Mobility Training Center on the GO, help paratransit clients develop skills to navigate traditional bus service, allowing them to travel independently and expand their transportation options.