Accessible Mobility Tech Showcase: Event Recap

NYU’s Rudin Center for Transportation and C2SMART Transportation Center, together with the Transit Tech Lab, held an event focused on new mobility technologies for people with disabilities, on February 25, 2020. This program included a panel to discuss new mobility technologies and how they can work best in New York City. The panel was moderated by NYU Rudin Center Associate Director Sarah Kaufman. The speakers were:

• Quemel Arroyo, Global Head of Community, Charge
• Rachel Cohen, Director of Systemwide Accessibility, MTA New York City Transit
• Natalia Quintero, Director, Transit Tech Lab

The panel gave insights into current plans and projects. For example, the MTA is currently testing about 15 features, including new apps, creating floor materials to create more accessible stations, and experimenting with maps and signage at the Jay Street-MetroTech Center station. Meanwhile, the Transit Tech Lab works to create public-private partnerships that allow for more innovative solutions to transit problems. Finally, Quemel Arroyo discussed the need for better user experience for anyone navigating the city, and pointed out how transportation options should be both stress-free and continuous.

After the discussion, semi-finalists in Transit Tech Lab’s Accessibility Challenge, which seeks to make New York’s public transit system more accessible, gave demonstrations of their proposed technologies.

These companies were:

• Knaq
• NaviLens
• Okeenea
• Acoustic Protocol