S.E.A.T.

Despite the growing variety of transportation options available in cities, many residents find themselves limited in their choices due to physical accessibility limitations, safety concerns, or other impediments to safe and efficient travel, restricting their ability to move freely about their cities. Transportation accessibility remains a problem for certain groups of travelers who are often underrepresented or overlooked in transportation policy development and research.

Under the SEAT initiative, C2SMART researchers will tackle transportation accessibility-related issues in cities faced by these users. These include, among others:

Seniors face mobility issues
and lifestyle changes, such as
switching from driving to using
a carpool, taxi or fixed-route
or demand-responsive public
transportation.

Through this initiative, the Center aims to shed light on the specific difficulties some travelers face in cities, how these challenges impact their lives, and what cities and companies can do to make urban transportation safer and more accessible for everyone.

• C2SMART researchers at NYU are currently engaged in research on transportation choices made by women and how they differ from men (ask Sarah for more?)

• NYU and UTEP researchers collaborated to study navigation issues by seniors and developed a mobile navigation app and recommender system designed to help seniors navigate their city and improve the mobility services they use (separate bullets for 2 studies?)

• C2SMART is partnering with NYCDOT as part of the USDOT NYC Connected
Vehicle Pilot Program to develop and test an app for visually-impaired pedestrians

• Year 3 project

• The Pink Tax on Transportation panel brought together women leaders in New
York City working toward safety and accessibility on transportation. The panel
discussed the importance of diversity in leadership, sensitivity of first responders,
and innovations in mobility.

• C2SMART will be launching a speaker series focusing on women leaders in
transportation. These speakers will discuss their careers and experience as women
in the transportation field, as well as their efforts to improve mobility options for
women and all travelers.

• At the Forbes Idea Incubator sponsored by Audi, women in STEM education will compete to work on how might we improve women’s access to reliable, safe and affordable transportation options in underserved communities in the United States. C2SMART faculty will serve on the judging panel to provide feedback and select the winners of the challege.

• C2SMART is partnering with NYCx to promote New York City-based startups and small businesses working to improve mobility for disadvanted travelers. Examples
include: