Building a Smarter Travel Training Database: Insights from the Field

As NJTIP @ Rutgers moves forward with redesigning our travel training database, we began with an essential first step: listening. Through a national survey and in-depth interviews with peer travel training programs, we gathered real-world insights from across the country, all of whom are current or former members of ATI. These contributions helped us better understand shared challenges, system limitations, and future-forward strategies — ultimately shaping the foundation of our new REDCap database.

What We Learned from the Field

Our survey, completed by 14 travel training programs across nine states, revealed a range of practices — but a strong consistency in data management struggles:

• 100% of programs use Excel, often alongside Microsoft Access, Google Sheets, or basic scheduling software.

• 57% of respondents have been in their roles for 6–10 years, often working within long-standing programs.

• All programs offer one-on-one and small group travel instruction.

• Most are funded through transit agencies or federal grants.

Despite these similarities, many programs face recurring data management challenges:

• Nearly half reported some level of dissatisfaction with their current tools.

• Frequent pain points included:

  • Limited ability to run queries or customize reports

  • Lack of secure, off-site or field-based access

  • Manual preparation of quarterly summaries

  • Inability to store attachments within customer records

Themes from Follow-Up Interviews

We conducted interviews with four programs that participated in the survey. Each offered a distinct perspective on their system’s strengths and limitations.

Travel Training Program 1 – Simplicity Over Complexity

This program uses Excel and a cloud storage solution for recordkeeping. They previously tried a commercial database, but staff found it too complicated. Today, they use spreadsheets linked to shared folders and enter notes in Word. While reporting remains manual, they value the flexibility and autonomy of their system.

Travel Training Program 2 – Long-Term Excel Users, Planning Ahead

With over 10,000 individual records, this program has relied on Excel for more than a decade. Their approach includes scanned customer forms and limited staff access. While they expressed overall satisfaction, they also acknowledged that the system lacks scalability and may pose challenges for new staff in the future.

Travel Training Program 3 – Transitioning to a Web-Based Platform

Currently migrating from Excel to a web-based system developed by a vendor, this program highlighted both promise and growing pains. Key benefits include remote access, centralized record storage, and upload capabilities. However, issues with search functionality, user permissions, and legacy data transfer have created barriers to full adoption.

Travel Training Program 4 – Volume Outpacing the Tools

Managing one of the largest record volumes (over 10,000), this program uses Excel along with a separate scheduling system. Notes and assessments are scanned into the system, but difficulties with running queries and concerns over data security were noted. They are exploring new solutions to streamline operations and improve reporting.

Partnering with Experts Who Understand Our Mission

To ensure our new REDCap database meets the unique needs of NJTIP @ Rutgers, we are proud to partner with a team of researchers and REDCap designers from the Kessler Foundation — specifically from their Social Determinants of Health and Disability Outcomes Research Laboratory.

The Kessler Foundation is a national leader in disability and rehabilitation research, with a strong emphasis on advancing community participation and health equity for individuals with disabilities. Their Social Determinants of Health Lab focuses on how access, environment, and data systems influence outcomes for people with disabilities.

This collaboration brings more than just technical expertise:

• The team is deeply familiar with REDCap’s design and implementation.

• They have first-hand experience using REDCap in applied research and service delivery.

• Most importantly, Kessler Foundation has a long-standing relationship with NJTIP and shares our commitment to enhancing independence and mobility for underserved populations.

Their involvement ensures that the system we’re building is not just functionally sound, but deeply aligned with our mission and the people we serve.

How This Informed NJTIP’s REDCap Redesign

These shared insights deeply influenced the vision and features of NJTIP’s new REDCap-based system. Here are the core pillars of our upcoming design:

1. Simplified, Structured Data Entry and Searching

   Inspired by the ease of Excel but with the added power of custom forms and robust filters.

2. Automated Reporting with Visual Insights

   Quarterly summaries will now be automatically generated, cutting down manual compilation time and highlighting trends at a glance.

3. Secure, Mobile-Ready Access

   Staff will be able to access and enter information in the field with permission-based controls, solving the off-site access challenge noted by multiple programs.

4. Centralized Document Management

   REDCap allows uploading and tagging of key forms and correspondence directly into a customer’s profile. This will provide a fuller picture of each customer at NJTIP.

5. Alerts, Flags, and Trend Tracking

   Our system will be able to detect recurring issues, like frequent rescheduling or accessibility complaints, and will flag them for review or escalation.

Note for nonprofit organizations: REDCap is free to use for institutional partners that join the global REDCap consortium — a collaborative network of academic, nonprofit, and research organizations. If your nonprofit is considering a transition to a more structured and secure data management system, you can learn more about joining here.

Closing Thoughts: Learning, Sharing, Evolving

Travel training professionals nationwide are united by a shared mission: supporting safe, independent mobility for people of all abilities. Yet the tools we use to document and evaluate this work must evolve with us.

Through this collaborative research effort, NJTIP learned from the experiences of peers across the country — not to mimic their systems, but to build smarter, with their lessons in mind. Our partnership with the Kessler Foundation ensures this next-generation tool isn’t just technically sound — it’s built by and for people who understand our work.

If you're rethinking your data system and want to connect, we’d love to continue the conversation. Find us at: https://vtc.rutgers.edu/njtip/