Self Promotion

How transit riders and the general public receive up-to-the-minute and accurate details concerning transit services during emergencies periods has taken center stage in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, and tomorrow, I’ll be joining a panel at NYU’s Rudin Center for Transportation Policy and Management tomorrow morning to discuss the role social media plays in disseminating that information. The event is a breakfast in the Puck Building at 295 Lafayette St., and I’ll be joining folks from the MTA, NYC Department of Transportation and The New York Times — perhaps slightly awkwardly — as we discuss how social media both helps and hinders the spread of information.

Here’s the summary from the Rudin Center’s website: “From the front lines of Hurricane Sandy, New York’s transportation providers delivered information, images and video nonstop. Both official and informal information services emerged on social media networks to convey clearly the extent of infrastructure damage, and how New Yorkers could expect to get around.” We start at 8:30 and should wrap by 10 a.m. Check it out.

A few upcoming events: Let’s start with the open bar fundraising. A few months ago, I joined the board of a nascent organization called the Riders Alliance, and this upcoming Monday is our official launch party. Run by John Raskin, a veteran community organization and former Chief of Staff for Daniel Squadron, the Riders Alliance is a membership organization of subway and bus riders in New York, dedicated to winning better transit by organizing transit riders into a powerful political constituency. I think it fills the gaps where other transit advocacy shops leave off.

So on Monday, we’re officially launching the event. Pete Donohue wrote a column about the organization earlier this week, and now we’re ready to go live. I’m one of the hosts of the launch party, and I’d like to extend an invite to my readership. This org lines up with many of the criticisms I’ve leveled at the lack of political organizing around transit issues. If you’re interested in the details, mosey on over to this page, and consider a $50 ticket for the open bar. If you do sign up, tell ’em Benjamin Kabak sent you. I’m one of the hosts.

Meanwhile, on November 27, I’ll be a part of a panel at NYU’s Rudin Center on social media and transit information. Here’s the summary, “From the front lines of Hurricane Sandy, New York’s transportation providers delivered information, images and video nonstop. Both official and informal information services emerged on social media networks to convey clearly the extent of infrastructure damage, and how New Yorkers could expect to get around.”

Joining me on the panel will be Aaron Donovan and JP Chan from the MTA, Robin Lester Kenton from NYC DOT and Tyson Evans from The Times. It’s an 8:30 a.m. breakfast event at the Puck Building at 295 Lafayette Street. Check out the new-ish Broadway-Lafayette/Bleecker St. transfer while you’re there, and RSVP here.

Tonight, my popular Q-and-A series run in conjunction with the Transit Museum returns for its fall debut. I’ll be interviewing “Gridlock Sam” Schwartz, and we’ll be discussing his plan to mitigate traffic congestion in New York City while generating revenue for transit investments. We’ll talk about the ins and outs of his plans, the opposition it faces and the paths toward implementation. At some point, after all, New York City will have to address its traffic and transit issues head on.

Tonight’s event happens near, but not at, the Transit Museum. We’ll be at The Actors Fund Arts Center at 160 Schermerhorn Street in Brooklyn. Doors open at 6, and the session kicks off at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 17. To reserve your seat now, mosey on over to this link. I’ll see you there.

Next week, my popular Q-and-A series run in conjunction with the Transit Museum returns for its fall debut. I’ll be interviewing “Gridlock Sam” Schwartz, and we’ll be discussing his plan to mitigate traffic congestion in New York City while generating revenue for transit investments. We’ll talk about the ins and outs of his plans, the opposition it faces and the paths toward implementation. At some point, after all, New York City will have to address its traffic and transit issues head on.

This month’s event happens near, but not at, the Transit Museum. We’ll be at The Actors Fund Arts Center at 160 Schermerhorn Street in Brooklyn. Doors open at 6, and the session kicks off at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 17. To reserve your seat now, mosey on over to this link. I’ll see you there.

A quick note for the late crew/early risers: I’m going to be on Fox 5’s “Good Day New York” at 7:15 a.m. on Thursday morning. I’ll be talking about the Straphangers Campaign’s subway report cards with the morning show hosts. Rumor has it that Gene Russianoff will be on as well. If you’re up and around a TV at that hour, give it a watch.

After two successful events earlier this spring at the Transit Museum, I’ll be hosting one more Problem Solvers Q-and-A tomorrow evening before taking a little break for the summer. My guest this week will be Caroline Samponaro, Transportation Alternatives’ Director of Bicycle Advocacy, and she and I will be discussing bike share as public transit. We’ll delve into the ins and outs of the city’s upcoming bike share system and talk about how it can complement and be integrated into the existing public transit network. (For a sneak peek, check out this post I wrote on the topic from May.)

The event kicks off at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 13 at the Transit Museum in Brooklyn Heights and will run for about an hour. Please RSVP here if you plan to attend. Hope to see you there.

After two successful events earlier this spring at the Transit Museum, I’ll be hosting one more Problem Solvers Q-and-A next week before taking a little break for the summer. My guest this time around will be Caroline Samponaro, Transportation Alternatives’ Director of Bicycle Advocacy, and she and I will be discussing bike share as public transit. We’ll delve into the ins and outs of the city’s upcoming bike share system and talk about how it can complement and be integrated into the existing public transit network.

The event kicks off at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 13 at the Transit Museum in Brooklyn Heights and will run for about an hour. Please RSVP here if you plan to attend. Hope to see you there.

I’m heading back to the Transit Museum this evening for the second in my Problem Solvers series. After interviewing Sarah Kaufman in February, I’ll be sitting down with Michael Frumin for an hour-long discussion on the ins and outs of MTA BusTime. The session, which will include an audience Q-and-A, starts at 6:30 p.m. in Brooklyn Heights. Doors are at 6. So come early, say hi, and wander through the museum.

Frumin is a systems engineering manager at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority where his focus is developing real-time bus tracking and customer information systems using open technology. His prior work in open source software, open data, web applications, and data analysis span the public transportation, finance, and online media industries. We’ll be focusing on how the MTA is delivering real-time bus location to passengers after years of stops and starts and what the future holds for such initiatives. To RSVP, mosey on over to this link. The event is free, but the February one filled up. I hope to see you tonight.