Skip to content
CityLab
Transportation

Why Public Transit Is an Equity Battleground

From New York City to Santiago, public transit plays an increasingly central role in debates over social equity, inclusion, and who should get the right to ride.
As New York's MTA launches a new policing campaign, some worry about the effects of the crackdown.
As New York's MTA launches a new policing campaign, some worry about the effects of the crackdown.Lucas Jackson/Reuters
By

In a video posted on Twitter by New York City subway rider earlier this month, a tearful woman is seen surrounded by four NYPD officers.

“What’s she doing?” Sofia Newman, the rider, asks.