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How A Blind Commuter Navigates The Subway System

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Plus: Should COVID-19 keep us off the train? How A Blind Commuter Navigates The Streets And Subways

Plus: Should COVID-19 keep us off the train? [View this email in your browser]( How A Blind Commuter Navigates The Streets And Subways Of New York City Plus: What to know about coronavirus and the subway. A Staten Island lawmaker with several speeding tickets doesn't like speed cameras. And Andy Byford's original resignation letter is now lost? By [James Ramsay](mailto:james@wnyc.org?subject=We%20the%20Commuters) [Bryan Velazquez standing on street-level at the entrance to the subway station at 23rd Street and 7th Avenue, holding a white cane in his left hand and holding his phone up to his ear with his right hand.] Brigid Barber/Gothamist Bryan Velazquez's first solo trip on the subway was years in the making. Through New York City’s Educational Vision Services, visually-impaired people between the ages of 5 and 21 can get matched with a mobility instructor to teach them to commute. But there's no guarantee they'll be permitted to travel independently. Some stop at learning to schedule Acess-A-Ride trips; others in the program may never make it out alone because their parents say no. Joyce Mandel, who was Velazquez's mobility teacher over a decade ago, knows how scary it can be — which is why she takes her time with students. "I make them feel safe, you know?" said Mandel. "If they make a mistake, they’re not going to get hurt. If they walk or step out into the street at the wrong time, I’m there to pull them back… It’s just repetition, repetition, repetition." To get cleared for independent travel on a given route, a student has to navigate that route correctly three times in a row. That means perfectly executing everything from using their cane, to crossing the street, to evaluating the flow of traffic. Velazquez, who's now 29, hit that bar years ago. But what if he wants to go someplace he's never been before? [a video of Bryan Velazquez navigating using his smartphone]( To show We The Commuters how he makes it happen, Velazquez picked a destination in uncharted territory: the original Shake Shack in Madison Square Park. And he got there the same way you'd probably get someplace new. He used his smartphone for directions. "Yes, hi, I'm trying to find Shake Shack on Madison Avenue," he said into his phone after exiting a nearby subway station. He was speaking with someone through the app Aira, which gives an agent access to a user's phone so they can deliver instructions out loud. The agent on the other end directed him down W. 22nd Street, alerting him to every potential obstacle — a woman with a stroller, men unloading boxes, a dumpster — along with full details about the intersections in front of him. Technology like this is a game-changer for Velazquez. But he knows that for many of the 200,000 blind or low-vision New Yorkers, assistive tech is something they're unfamiliar or uncomfortable with. So, he's passing along his expertise, teaching part-time at the Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library. Most of his lessons are about iPhone accessibility features. "It’s tough to get out of your comfort zone," Velazquez said. "But aside from all that, once you learn tech, your life would be so much easier." — [Reporting by Shumita Basu]( Interested in hearing more about accessibility in our transit system? Join We The Commuters for "Imagining an Accessible New York," next Tuesday, March 10th, in the Greene Space. Shumita will be joined by artists, activists, and designers, as well as Janno Lieber, the Chief Development Officer for the MTA. [Tickets are still available](. Should You Take Mass Transit Amid COVID-19? [a commuter holds a MetroCard wearing blue silicon gloves]( Mark Lennihan/AP If you're feeling fine, yes. If you're feeling sick and can afford to stay home, no. "We know that there's currently no indication that it's easy to transmit by casual contact," [said NYC Health Commissioner Oxiris Barbot](. "We want New Yorkers to go about their daily lives, ride the subway, take the bus, go see your neighbors." The MTA did announce on Monday that it's applying industrial-grade disinfectants to subway cars, Metro-North and LIRR trains, ticket vending machines, and other equipment every 72 hours. [WNYC reporter Stephen Nessen tweets a picture of MTA employees applying a strong cleaning solution inside the Atlantic Terminal station]( The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the virus is spread when people are within six feet of each other, which makes a crowded subway car (or bus, or office, or gym) more precarious than someplace where you're not close to anyone. However, Dr. Stephen S. Morse, an epidemiology professor at Columbia, told the [New York Times]( that "the time of exposure is shorter" on the subway, where passengers are constantly coming and going. Epidemiologists say that steps taken to protect yourself are more critical than the MTA's cleaning effort. Avoid touching your face, cough or sneeze into a tissue, and try to wash your hands or apply hand sanitizer once you get off mass transit, experts say. This Week's News From Gothamist And WNYC [A barrier blocks the entrance to a subway station elevator] Transit Center The MTA has a long history of being sued over subway accessibility. In the 1980s, Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association (now known as United Spinal Association) sued the MTA to force a $150 million accessibility upgrade for about 50 stations. Then, in 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans With Disabilities Act into law, requiring the MTA to make stations accessible — when "technically feasible" — any time it does a renovation. [Here's a brief history of the recent lawsuits forcing the MTA to adhere to the ADA](. The new interim NYC Transit leader doesn't think Andy Byford's demeanor was so different from that of other public servants. "What's interesting is, and this is not a criticism of him, it did not feel all that different to me than the way a lot of public servants behave," [Sarah Feinberg said](. "And Andy and I actually talked about that ourselves, that we were sort of surprised by the fact that his behavior wasn't all that unique, but it was just for whatever reason, it was just welcomed at that moment." Two state lawmakers are trying to make it easier to charge reckless drivers who kill or injure other road users. State Senator Andrew Gounardes has introduced a set of bills that would create a database of dangerous cars, protect pedestrians by deeming every intersection a crosswalk, and give prosecutors more freedom to apply criminal charges against reckless drivers. Among other things, [this would increase the penalties for some hit-and-run drivers](. Assemblymember Dan Quart introduced a companion bill in his chamber. A Staten Island City Council member with multiple speeding tickets does not like the new speed cameras in his borough. Joe Borelli, who has received three speeding tickets since May of 2018, is [opposing a new bill that would require car owners to attend a safe driving course]( if they rack up five red light tickets or 15 school speed zone violations within a year. He's also supportive of the local group putting up yellow ribbons near speed cameras. "To hear people constantly talk about the need to break car culture and to ban cars is insulting to the few New York City residents in perhaps the one borough that has no other choice," Borelli said. "Call me crazy." What Else We're Reading The Jersey City light rail will extend all the way to the Hackensack River. Currently, PATH and ferry commuters can catch the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail at Exchange Place and take it further inland through West Bergen. Now, NJ Transit has the funding to finish the line, extending from the West Side Avenue station across Route 440 to the Hackensack River Waterfront, where a retail and affordable housing complex is planned. ([NJTV News]( There's a new ride-hailing app based out of taxi garage in Kensington, Brooklyn. Myle, which was created by the son of a Ukrainian immigrant cab driver, is far cheaper than Uber and Lyft. A test-run by one journalist also found it much less reliable. "On three occasions, it took at least 15 minutes to summon a car," the reporter wrote. "In another instance, the driver pulled over mid-ride and told me his fan belt was busted. I requested a refund, which still hasn’t materialized." ([The Wall Street Journal]( A subway conductor was hospitalized last night after being punched by a passenger. A man was allegedly holding the doors open at the Beverly Road 2 train stop when the conductor went to confront him. The passenger then hit him and fled, the NYPD said. The conductor reportedly fell back and hit his head on the platform, and was taken to the critical care unit at Kings County Hospital. ([NBC New York]( The MTA now says it can't find Andy Byford's October resignation letter, the one journalists have been requesting for months. After Politico reported on Byford's October 18th resignation, which he then rescinded (before eventually resigning in January), reporters have been filing Freedom of Information Law requests to obtain the original letter, which could have crucial information about why the transit chief wanted out. But the MTA said last Friday that it "has conducted a diligent search and does not have in its possession any record responsive." ([Politico]( Infographic: Which Subway Stations Are Accessible [a map of the subway system, highlighting which stations are accessible] Clarisa Diaz Right now, about 25% of New York City's 472 subway stations are fully accessible for wheelchair users. Under the Fast Forward plan, the MTA says it intends to make 70 more stations accessible by 2024, with the goal of ensuring that "no rider will be more than two stops away from an accessible station." But over half of these stations will still be concentrated in Manhattan. And then there's the issue of scale — "two stops away" is much farther in outer boroughs. In this [infographic by WNYC's Clarisa Diaz]( you can see just how far the space is between accessible stations. Weekend Service Changes: Night of March 6th – Early Morning on March 9th This is a partial list of major service disruptions scheduled for the weekend. For a complete list of the MTA's Weekender updates, [check here](. On Saturday and Sunday, train service between 111 St and Main St in Queens will be replaced by free shuttle buses. train service between Jay St-MetroTech and Utica Av in Brooklyn will be replaced by free shuttle buses. Saturday and Sunday, train service between Canal St, Manhattan and Euclid Av, Brooklyn will be replaced by the train and free shuttle buses. Coney Island-bound trains will skip 174-175 Sts, 170 St, 167 St, 161 St, the Bronx and 155 St, Manhattan. Weekend nights, Coney Island-bound trains and Church Av-bound trains will skip Carroll St and Fort Hamilton Pkwy in Brooklyn. On Saturday and Sunday, Forest Hills-bound trains will skip Elmhurst Av, Grand Av, Woodhaven Blvd, 63 Dr and 67 Av in Queens. [Check here]( for complete details about the Long Island Rail Road. For NJ Transit, [check here]( for the latest service advisories. Upcoming Meetings and Events Thursday, March 5th Queens Bus Network Redesign Workshop Poppenhusen Institute, College Point, Queens — 7:00 p.m. [Check here]( for more information on all the Queens Bus Network Redesign meetings, including the five meetings scheduled for next week. Tuesday, March 10th We The Commuters: Imagining an Accessible New York The Greene Space — 7:00 p.m. [Get tickets here]( the event will also be live-streamed Monday, March 23rd Joint Metro-North & LIRR Committee Meeting — 8:30 a.m. NYC Transit / MTA Bus Committee Meeting — 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, March 25th MTA Board Meeting — 9:00 a.m. Registration for two-minute public speaking slots opens 15 minutes before the start time for official MTA committee meetings. To speak before an MTA board meeting, you must register 30 minutes early. All meetings are held in the MTA's Board Room at 2 Broadway, on the 20th Floor. [a portrait of James Ramsay] James Ramsay also wants to see that Byford resignation letter. (Photo by Amy Pearl) Support WNYC + Gothamist Make a donation to support local, independent journalism. Your contributions are our largest source of funding and pays for essential transportation coverage and more. [Donate]( Copyright © 2020 New York Public Radio, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: New York Public Radio 160 Varick Street New York, NY 10013 [unsubscribe]( [update preferences]( [privacy policy](

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