Transportation

If you drive yourself to work, you need to:

Know how to get to your workplace.

Know how long it takes to get to your workplace (including time spent waiting in traffic).

Have enough gas in your car to get to work, or enough time to get gas on the way to work.

Have money for gas if needed.

Have a valid, current driver’s license.
Make sure your car has passed inspection and is in good working condition.

Have up-to-date automobile insurance.

Cost:  If you drive yourself, you need to pay for gas money and car insurance for your car.  The amount of money needed for gas depends on how much gas prices are and how many miles you are driving. Make sure you have money for parking, if needed.

If you have someone else drive you to work, you need to:

Arrange who will drive you to work. This could be a family member, co-worker, neighbor, or friend. 

Arrange what time you will be picked up to and from work.  To do this, you will have to know how long it takes to get to your workplace.  Be sure to allow time for traffic.

Arrange where you will be picked up to and from work.

Offer to pay for some of the gas that is used driving you to and from work.

Cost: Having someone drive you can be free, or you may need to pay for gas.  In many cases, it is appropriate to give someone (e.g. particularly friends or co-workers) gas money because they are doing you a big favor.

If you take the bus to work, you need to:

Look at the bus schedule. 

There are several ways to find the bus schedule:

1. You can usually find the bus schedule online.  Type in “bus schedule” and the name of the city you live or work in into an online search engine, such as google.com. 
2. Go to your city or town’s official webpage. 
3. You can also probably find the bus schedule at the bus station or at the bus stop. It is likely posted somewhere that is easy to find.  There is probably also a printed paper copy of the bus schedule that you can take home with you if you go to the bus station.  This is recommended so that you can refer to it when needed.  

Once you have the bus schedule, you need to figure out:

The location of the bus stop.

What time you need to catch the bus before work.

What bus stop to get off at closest to work.

If you need to change buses to get to your destination.

What time you need to catch the bus after work.

Bring bus fare if needed (money to pay for the bus).

Arrive at the bus stop 5 – 10 minutes early.  Buses tend to be reliable and run on time.  That means you must be on time to catch it.  Otherwise, you will have to wait for the next scheduled bus, and you may be late for work. 

Cost: In some cities and towns, public buses are free to ride.  In other cities, you may need to pay a small fee to ride the bus. If you ride the bus regularly, you may be able to buy a “bus pass” that gives you a discount for being a frequent bus-rider.

In larger cities, a common mode of getting from place to place is by taking the subway.  A subway may be referred to by another name or term depending on the city.  For example, it may be called “the metro,” “the train,” or “the underground.” 

If you take the subway, you will need to:

Look at the subway schedule.

There are several ways to find the subway schedule:

1. You can usually find the subway schedule online.  Type in “subway schedule” and the name of the city you live or work in into an online search engine, such as google.com. 
2. Go to your city or town’s official webpage. 
3. You can also find the subway schedule at the subway station. It is likely posted on the wall somewhere, possibly in an electronic version.  There is probably also a printed paper copy of the subway schedule that you can take home with you.  This is recommended so that you can refer to it when needed.

Once you have a subway schedule, you need to figure out:

The location of the subway station.

What time you need to catch the subway before work.

What subway station to get off at closest to work.

If you need to change trains to get to your destination.

What time you need to catch the subway after work.

Bring money to pay for your ride on the subway.

Arrive at the subway station 5 - 10 minutes early. Subways tend to be a reliable mode of transportation and run on time.  That means you must be on time to catch it.  Otherwise, you will have to wait for the next scheduled train, and you may be late for work.

Cost: There is a small fare for taking the subway or train to work.  The price varies depending on what city you live in.  You may be able to buy a pass at a discounted price if you will be using the subway frequently.

For some people, taking a taxi to work is a convenient option.  A taxi arrives at your home and will drop you off directly outside your workplace.  A taxi is also referred to as a “cab.”

If you take a taxi/Uber/ Lyft/ etc. to work, you need to:

Call a taxi company or request an Uber/ Lyft with your app on the phone. Because they could be running late, you should arrange to be picked up 10 minutes earlier than it takes to get to work to be on the safe side.

Arrange where you will be picked up and dropped off by giving them the appropriate addresses.

Arrange for a time to be picked up from work at the end of the day.

Have your taxi/Uber/ Lyft/ etc. fare (money to pay the taxi driver) ready.  Be sure to include a tip for the driver.  It is typical to tip the taxi driver 15% of the taxi fare. Your Uber/ Lyft fare will be automatically charged to your card entered in your app.  You have the option to add a tip via the app at the end of your ride.  We suggest 15% or 20%.

Cost: taxi/Uber/ Lyft/ etc. can be very expensive if you take them every day.  The further away your workplace is, the more the ride will cost.  Therefore, you may want to research other methods of transportation to see if there is a more budget-friendly option.

If you live close enough to your workplace, you may be able to walk to work.  Walking is a good option for many reasons:

• It is good exercise.
• It is good for the environment (it does not pollute).
• It is free.

If you choose to walk to work, you need to:

Know safety rules about walking.

• Example: Only cross the street on crosswalks.
• Example: Walk facing traffic.

Make sure there is a safe walking path or sidewalk for you to walk on the entire way there.

Make sure you are able to safely cross any streets along the way.

Know the quickest and safest route to get to work.

Know how long it takes you to walk to work.

Dress appropriately for weather conditions (i.e. very hot or very cold weather). 

Wear appropriate walking shoes that do not hurt your feet, such as sneakers.  You may need to bring a change of shoes with you so that you can wear shoes that are more appropriate to your workplace once you get there.  

Cost: Walking is free.

If you live close enough to your work place, you may be able to ride your bicycle there.  Riding a bicycle is a good option for many reasons:

• It is good exercise.
• It is good for the environment (does not pollute).
• It is free.

However, bicycling can be very dangerous when riding among cars.  Bicyclists can get hit by cars and suffer from serious injuries and even death.  Make sure you are a very competent bicyclist and that you are riding in very little traffic or on a bike path.

If you choose to ride your bicycle to work, you need to:

Make sure you are a very good, controlled bicyclist.

Use a bike path if possible.

Always wear a helmet.

Wear reflective clothing if biking early in the morning or at night. It is strongly discouraged to bike in the dark for safety reasons.  You are more likely to be hit by a car if it is dark out because the drivers cannot see as well.

Know bicycling safety rules. The rules for biking are much more complex than for walking because you may be sharing the road with cars.  It can be very dangerous to ride your bicycle among cars, so make sure you know the rules for biking.

Know the safest route to get to work.

Know how long it will take you to bike to work.

Bring a change of clothes in a backpack if your biking shoes and clothes are not appropriate for work. 

Know where to park your bicycle when you get to work.

Bring a lock for your bike to protect it from being stolen.

 
Cost: Riding your bicycle is free once you have purchased a bicycle.

In some areas, there may be a shuttle or van service available to people with disabilities.  To be eligible to use this mode of transportation, you will likely have to complete some paperwork and possibly have the signature of a healthcare professional.  You will have to do this to verify that you have a disability and are in need of special transportation. 

There are several ways to learn about special transportation services in your community:

1. Go to your local Vocational Rehabilitation services website.  Use a search engine like Google.com and type in “Vocational Rehabilitation (your state).”

2. Use a search engine like Google.com and type in such phrases as:  “transportation for people with disabilities (your city and state name).”

3. Go to the websites of your local advocacy groups.  For example, use a search engine like Google.com and type in “Autism Society (your state).”  They can usually direct you to local service providers.

4. If you are in high school and are served in special education under an Individualized Education Program (IEP), the school system might agree to provide special transportation to and from work. 

If you choose to use a shuttle service, you need to:

Arrange when the shuttle should pick you up before work.

Arrange where the shuttle should pick you up before work.

Arrange when the shuttle should get you after work.

Arrange where the shuttle should drop you off after work.

Make these arrangements in a timely manner.  Some shuttle services do not allow you to make reservations the same day that you need a ride.  Instead, you must make your reservation the day before or several days before.

Cost: Cost varies depending on what state or county you live in.  It may be free or there may be a fee.  It depends on where you live and the level of services you are eligible to receive.