On Monday Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Administrator Nuria Fernandez held a roundtable discussion in New York City with local leaders of the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AA & NHPI) communities regarding the experience of riders of Asian descent on New York City’s public transportation system. Congresswoman Grace Meng and Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Chair and CEO, Janno Lieber, joined the discussion with seven AA & NHPI community organizations and a representative of the President’s Advisory Commission on AA & NHPI.
Participants recognized the importance of transit to AA & NHPI communities, providing access to jobs, education, community, and services. They also shared the experiences of their members targeted by anti-Asian hate, as well as their ideas for addressing crime and improving safety on transit. Given the critical connections public transportation provides to social services, safety concerns can disproportionately impact seniors. Community representatives expressed a need for more multi-lingual signage and information, as well as increased funding and services to support mental healthcare and unhoused population needs. They also expressed the importance of communities of color working together to combat hate crimes, ignorance, and bias on public transportation.
Safe and reliable public transportation is essential to advancing equity, justice, and opportunity for all. This roundtable was the first in a series of planned discussions around the nation to help DOT and FTA better understand local perceptions of public transit by AA & NHPI riders and identify potential solutions to better meet the needs of these communities.
Participating Organizations
* Asian Americans for Equality
* Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY)
* Asian American Federation (AAF)
* Council of Peoples Organization (COPO)
* Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC)
* Korean American Association of Greater New York (KAAGNY)
* Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA)
