Intangible Benefits of
Travel Training
Nathan Graeff, CTRS, Travel Trainer
Lilly Ortiz, O&M, Travel Trainer
Introduction
Monetary benefits as a result of travel training are very
important to transit agencies; however, as instructors we are
witness to a host of intangible benefits that training can bring.
We would like to show that these intangible benefits are
valuable because of the effect they have on the individual, their
families and local community.
Public Transportation Tangible Benefits
Three common viewpoints:
1. Financial – directly to transit agency providing service
2. Economic – open market worth of the bus/train ride
3. Political – collective viewpoint of community values
Public Transportation Intangible Benefits
1. Economic-Focused Definition:
“Subjective benefits that cannot be measured
in monetary terms.”
2. Rider-Focused Definition:
“Intangible benefits are positive effects that cannot be
held in hand, measured or given a set value.”
What are intangible benefits?
 Social
 Socialization
 Participation
 Emotional
 Mood
 Morale/positive thinking
 Cognitive
 Concentration/focus
 Decision making
 Physical
 Personal health
 Activity level
What are more intangible benefits?
 Independence
 Locus of control
 Rediscovered independence
 Life Satisfaction
 Quality of life
 Overall well-being
 Personality
 Attitude
 Thought process
Overall Quality of Life
The more happy people are, the less they are focused
on the negative. They also tend to like others more,
which creates an overall happiness which then
correlates to a higher level of satisfaction with their life.
- Martin Seligman, Ph.D.
Clientele Focus
 School-age students
 People with intellectual or developmental disabilities
 People with physical disabilities
 Older adults and Seniors
Ripple Effect
 An effect from an initial state can be followed
outwards incrementally
 Can be in a positive or negative manner
 Dependent on many factors including the Travel
Trainer, program, previous experiences, skills and
ability of client and client’s environment.
Bigger Picture
 Benefits to family and caregivers
 Benefits to community
 Benefits to public transit agency
Measurement
 So how do we attempt to measure the
immeasurable?
 This is a proposed idea, based on a combination of
scales used to loosely construct this scale
 Require assistance and feedback from those in the
field in a pilot program of sorts
Marketability
 Client Targets:
• Choice Customers – those who choose to use public transit but
have alternative transportation (paratransit services)
• Potential Customers – those who have not yet used public
transit due to alternative transportation
 Community Targets:
• Transitional services
• Day programs
• Rehabilitation hospitals/facilities
Marketability
 Transit Agency Targets:
• Agency focus
 Usability
 Public image
• Community focus
 Livability
 Access
• Personal focus
 Empowerment
 Well-being
Marketability
 Social Cost-Benefit or Cost-Effective Analysis
• Takes into consideration the monetary and non-monetary
costs and benefits on a society
 What “cost” or “price” is put on an individual’s selfworth or independence?
 For Transit Agencies, some intangible benefits can be
funneled into financial categories
Feedback
We look forward to your feedback regarding our scale and
measurement technique. We invite you to send us your
thoughts, comments, concerns and suggestions to help us
in developing a scale that can be used in any travel training
setting.
Email: ngraeff@mtm-inc.net OR lortiz@mtm-inc.net
Tweet: @OnTheMoveDC
Questions or Comments?