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How To Ride

The CAT Bus Travel Training Program

The CAT Bus travel training program was set up to help anyone learn how to "Catch the CAT."

Connecting the Community Travel Training has three components:

  • EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS: Brochures, videos, and other multimedia are developed to help people learn more about using the fixed-route bus system.
  • SERVICE PROVIDER TRAININGS: These trainings involve classroom time covering the basics of reading our maps and "Catching the CAT" bus. At the end of these trainings, service providers should feel comfortable enough to better assist their clients with transportation needs.
  • ONE ON ONE TRAVEL TRAINING: This program is set up to help people who may need a little more personalized help with learning how to use the fixed-route CAT Bus system. This training involves:
  1. Contacting the CAT Bus office at 323-9228.
  2. An initial client meeting will be set up where map reading can be covered (if the interested rider is able to understand how to figure out the map and routes; if the rider isn't able to understand the map, someone will need to submit the starting and ending locations for the most frequently traveled routes the interested rider will be taking and the CAT Bus travel trainer will map out the routes)
  3. After the initial client meeting or after the routes have been mapped out by the travel trainer, a ride-along will be scheduled with the interested rider and with the referring service provider or guardian if applicable.
  4. If the rider and the service provider/guardian (if applicable) haven't fully understood the bus system after the first ride-along, subsequent ride-alongs can be scheduled. If the service provider/guardian understands but the rider still is having trouble, a training pass will be issued to the service provider or some free ride passes will be issued to a guardian so he or she can continue to ride with the new interested rider until he or she understands the bus system.
  5. After about two weeks of the rider using The CAT Bus by him or herself, a staff member from CAT Bus will check and make sure everything is going smoothly and to answer any questions the rider or service provider may have. After two months, another follow up will take place to make sure the rider is still okay with riding CAT Bus.

Transit Info

Service Provider Resources:

  • The CAT Trip Planner can be used to help clients map out routes in Bismarck and Mandan. Just fill out the form with the starting and ending locations and someone from The CAT Bus will send an email response back with the complete route mapped out.