Abstract

Service inequity for disabled residents, NYC subway and rail lines
Track: Transportation
Authors: Nora Santiago, Cameron Gordon, Bukurije Bajrami, Afrona Kaziu

New York is a city of over 8 million people. 64% of New Yorkers live within ½ mile of a train station; over 25% of these residents are disabled. Within the five boroughs, there are 468 train stations, but of these only 67 are accessible by Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. The Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) has mandated the opening of 100 ADA compliant stations by 2020. This will bring the available number of ADA compliant stations to 21%, still leaving a large mobility and accessibility services gap for disabled residents. This transit gap will grow as the population ages. Transportation infrastructure investment must thus prioritize the needs of the growing disabled and elderly population. This study analyzes the existing and proposed updates to the NYC Subway system in comparison with other NY rail systems, including both urban and suburban lines.