2024 Theses Master's

Planning and Designing Efficient and Resilient Rail Transit Hubs in New York City

Xia, Eric

The city of New York has an extensive public transit network that moves millions of people every day. However, the public transit network, specifically the rail transit systems, are suffering from service disruptions during extreme weather due to outdated infrastructure, where the situation will be further worsened due to future climate change. Existing literature and studies in the field have reviewed and analyzed the fragility of transit infrastructure in the city, evaluated and monitored the impacts of climate change with a multi-disciplinary approach, and provided solutions both for resiliency and efficiency on a global scale.

Using two flooding scenarios, spatial reasoning, and quantitative network analysis, the research evaluates the systematic and local impact caused by flash flooding due to extreme weather events under different scenarios. With local neighbor clustering and the use of a three-step quantitative model, the research identifies different stations and transportation hub categories under flooding impact and proposes non-structural, structural, and network-wide policy suggestions that fit different hub types. The research also provides re-designing strategies and illustrations of three rail transit hubs that are of different roles in the rail transit network and demonstrates the potential of reimagining and planning resilient, efficient, environmentally friendly, and equitable rail transit hubs in New York City.