His Job Is to Make the Subway Accessible. His Own Life Fuels His Work.
The New York Times • • nation
Key Points:
- Quemuel Arroyo, who uses a wheelchair, faces significant challenges accessing the subway near his Harlem apartment due to the lack of elevators.
- His daily commute involves taking two buses to reach the nearest accessible subway station, resulting in a 40-block journey to work near Wall Street.
- As the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s first chief accessibility officer, Arroyo advocates for billions in funding to install new elevators in subway stations.
- He also urges faster repairs of the system’s approximately 350 elevators to prevent passengers from becoming stranded and feeling helpless.
