The goal of this project is to mitigate the risks of commuting for Columbia employees when they will have to return to work after the state-on-pause is over from May 15. As Columbia has been preparing for ramping up labs with an emphasis on social distancing within campus, higher risks could arise when the employees have to commute between home and campus. It is estimated approximately one in five residents in NYC might have been infected by COVID-19 . With the fear of exposing to coronavirus, commuters have shifted from transit to individual cars or bikes, leading to a significant drop in subway ridership , more speeding tickets , surging bike traffic , and more crashes with cyclist injuries . On the other hand, low-income people of color, who have been hit the hardest by the coronavirus , could be in a more disadvantaged position after the state “un-pause”, because: (1) they lack accessibility to other travel modes than public transit; (2) they usually live far from their workplace for an affordable accommodation and have to commute a long way; and (3) many of them take night shift but most transportation options are shut down at night after the pandemic. This project aims to address travel safety and equity concerns of essential workers and provide a responsible and safe transportation solution for the Columbia community.

To achieve these goals, we propose to perform an online survey coupled with the NYC Open Data. The research outcomes will help provide timely recommendations on viable transportation options for Columbia employees, including addition of shuttle bus lines, routes, and frequencies, and potential PPE provision to employees who have to commute via transit. It will better prepare Columbia for future pandemics or disruptions and ensure the well-being of the Columbia community.

Outcome

To achieve these goals, we propose to perform an online survey coupled with the NYC Open Data. DSI talent could help survey preparation, data collection and analysis, and provide expertise in NYC Open Data analytics.

Learning opportunity

DSI talent will apply their data science skills to the real-world urgent problem related to COVID-19, under the guidance of faculty specialized in transportation, smart city, urban planning and policy.

This is an UNPAID research project.

Faculty Advisor

  • Professor: Sharon Di
  • Department/School: Civil Engineering
  • Location: Morningside

Project Timeline

  • Anticipated workload: 6 months
  • Duration: June 2020-December 2020.

Candidate requirements

  • Skills required: 1. Survey design and instrument. 2. Spatial-temporal data analysis, visualization and interpretation
  • Additional domain knowledge: transportation, behavioral survey design, urban planning and policy
  • Student eligibility: freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, master’s
  • Additional comments: Committed to helping the CU community with safe and responsible transportation