The New Jersey Transit Corporation – known as NJ TRANSIT – recently launched two new technology-focused initiatives to help customers navigate travel on the system as safely and efficiently as possible.
[Above photo by NJ TRANSIT]
Those technology projects include efforts aimed at improving accessibility throughout the state-owned public transportation network for “neuro-diverse” riders, such as those with autism, as well as customers with mobility challenges.
Through its partnership with Magnusmode, NJ TRANSIT will assist neuro-diverse customers with the help of MagnusCards, a free mobile application that combines the instruction of an autism educational specialist with real-world images that aid anyone who could use extra guidance to navigate everyday travel experiences.
Specifically, the partnership with Magnusmode will initially create a set of five MagnusCards “decks” to guide individuals through various aspects of riding NJ TRANSIT buses.
Each deck provides step-by-step visual, audio, and text instructions designed to set travel expectations and ease anxiety.
Funding for the Magnusmode project comes from the Senior Citizen & Disabled Resident Transportation Assistance Program, created by the state legislature to assist counties throughout New Jersey with their community-based transportation services for disabled or senior residents and to provide resources for increasing the accessibility of NJ TRANSIT services.
NJ TRANSIT has also revamped its accessibility-related website content and user experience, now available at https://www.njtransit.com/accessibility.
That webpage features a new overview video about the many services and features of NJ TRANSIT that make it accessible and inviting to all individuals, as well as easy-to-use links to specific information and informational videos, which are captioned in six languages in addition to English.
The videos, funded by the Federal Transit Administration’s Access and Mobility Partnership Grants program, cover several topics including information about vehicle and station accessibility, the Reduced Fare Program, community transportation services, and our Access Link paratransit service, including Access Link Online, where Access Link customers can manage their reservations and accounts
“These new tech-focused initiatives will significantly increase accessible public transportation options for those who may not be using the system today,” said NJ TRANSIT President & CEO Kevin Corbett in a statement.