LA Metro’s ‘On the Move’ expo in Pasadena aims to help older adults navigate transit
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Summary
LA Metro will host its 10th annual older-adult transportation expo on May 15 at the Pasadena Convention Center, offering beginner-to-advanced sessions, a free shuttle from Memorial Park Station, on-site senior TAP-card enrollment and demonstrations of travel-buddy volunteer programs.
LA Metro’s On the Move riders program will hold its 10th annual older-adult transportation expo on Friday, May 15, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Pasadena Convention Center, Metro manager Lily Ortiz said on Pasadena Media’s On the Move podcast.
Ortiz, manager of Metro’s On the Move riders program, said doors open at 8:30 a.m., organizers expect more than 500 older adults from across Los Angeles County, and Pasadena Transit will operate a free shuttle from Memorial Park Station beginning about 8:15 a.m. "We're expecting over 500 older adults from all over the county to come and join us," Ortiz said.
The event will include two morning breakout sessions tailored to beginners, intermediate and advanced riders, an "appy hour" demonstration of transit apps, a public-safety presentation and a closing keynote. Ortiz said volunteer "travel buddies" — roughly 60 volunteers systemwide and two local travel clubs in Pasadena — will lead practice trips and a transit champions parade through the convention center to highlight peer-led support for new riders.
Ortiz also described station restroom improvements and how riders access them. She said Metro has added ventilated, running-water facilities at several locations, including Memorial Park Station, and that access is controlled through an app or text and requires a TAP card. "These bathrooms are accessed via an app, or you can text, to get access. You must have a TAP card to utilize it," Ortiz said.
A mobile customer center will be on-site to process senior TAP-card applications, Ortiz said. The center will take applicants' photos, issue a temporary TAP card for immediate use, and mail a permanent card in about 10 to 15 working days.
Registration is required; Ortiz urged early RSVP because last year’s event reached capacity. She directed listeners to metro.net/on-the-move, which links to an Eventbrite registration page, and provided a contact number for trip-planning and questions (213-922-2002).
Alan Clannett, vice president of the board of management of the city of Pasadena’s Community Access Corporation (PCAC) and host of the podcast, closed the episode by encouraging listeners to attend and to follow future On the Move episodes.
The expo is free to attend but requires prior registration; organizers plan to highlight available countywide transit resources and volunteer-led opportunities to help older adults travel by public transit.
