What are some of the biggest accessibility issues people face that you have noticed when using public transportation? 

Lots of stations are not wheelchair accessible. This problem has existed since the NYC subway system was built over 100 years ago. In 1990, the ADA was introduced. Even now, only 189 stations out of 472 in total are accessible to New Yorkers. That makes it about 5 accessible stations built per year. It takes many years to make all of these stations truly accessible, so they still are not fully accessible today. The other problem is that elevators need cleaning and maintenance, and the repairs frequently don’t work. This is a big problem facing the city today. There also is the issue of the subway platforms, and of people being pushed onto subway tracks. Barriers need to be put into more use throughout the stations. This should be a priority. The subway system in New York ultimately is old and needs rehabilitation. 

How does design research help engineers to find accessibility problems, and how do engineers incorporate these problems? In your experience, what type of data, whether it is surveys, videos, or something else, works to be the most useful? 

​It is not a question necessarily of technology, but rather of funding. It is a political, fiscal policy problem. This prevents things from happening. It’s not a technology or design issue. 

What have you found most impactful about working on the C2SMART initiative? 

Promoting technology. Mobility, accessibility, and technology are all making progress in these areas. The C2SMART Center is engaged in developing new technologies and algorithms to make use of large data to understand what is happening on a large scale. 

What interests you the most about designing civilian transportation systems and other forms of civilian infrastructure? 

The main objective of transportation is to provide mobility and access to people. It works to provide access to destinations while also providing opportunities. The mobility access is based on how fast and quickly you can move people from Point A to Point B safely. Accessibility involves how easily you can get to places. The means to achieve this has to be done safely. Therefore, safety is another major aspect of transportation, as well as design and optimization efficiency. 

What has been the most rewarding part of your career and research thus far? 

To have fun doing it! I find it challenging and satisfying to come up with solutions to these problems. It is a very rewarding activity, and I am very happy with it. Transportation problems never end, and there are always more problems. The system needs maintenance, and we forget how important it is to have a properly maintained system. Institutions don’t provide adequate funding for maintenance. 

What do you think is the hardest part in getting city agencies to turn a pilot project into reality? 

The major obstacle is that efficiency at the public level is very slow to achieve. The city and the state have their own views, and there is no unified agency that manages or establishes what the objectives are. It is the preference of the NYC transportation system to end trains back into the station. The trains move in, they are stored there, and then the trains move back out. The system doesn’t allow for trains to go through. If they change this, it will require less tracks and more space for pedestrians. Therefore, it would allow for more access to other parts of the region. New Jersey to Long Island on one train, etc. This would also open up more housing and employment opportunities. There is a huge debate surrounding this, and nothing is moving so far. Agencies operate based on their own interests, therefore, there needs to be a policy plan developed that addresses these needs. There will be a number of regulations and reviews for different projects. Some projects ultimately take up to 20 years to be completed. 

Since transportation and accessibility projects take many years and can be very expensive, what do you think is the best way to improve mobility quickly and cheaply? 

The costs are very high to build things in NYC. Here it is 2-3 times the cost, with many regulations and union rules.