Abstract: The access to and adoption of clean energy public transportation solutions can contribute to global commitments on limiting temperature increases to 1.5C. As cities and governments plan for sustainable transportation futures, they must understand the limitations of current public transportation innovations and the concerns of their citizens. The core question that drives my research is: How can we design for equity in future public transportation technologies? To answer this question, I leverage both qualitative and usability studies in my research design. I examine equitable technology on two axes: location (North America and East Africa) and users (disabled and non-disabled riders). My research 1) describes non-traditional primary stakeholders and their experiences in nascent public transportation technology ecosystems; and 2) characterizes the transportation habits of disabled riders. It reveals a relationship between trust and equity. I show that designing for equity in public transportation technologies is a process that involves continuously assessing where communities lie on the axis of trust. Only then can we create interventions that meet the needs of diverse user groups regardless of location because each community exists at a different point on the journey toward equity.

Bio: Lynn Kirabo is a Ph.D. candidate in the Human-Computer Interaction Institute at Carnegie Mellon University. She is part of the Transportation, Bots, and Disability lab where she is advised by Dr. Aaron Steinfeld (Robotics Institute). She enjoys teaching students courses at the intersection of Intro CS, HCII, and A11y. Kirabo’s research investigates the future of equity in smart public transit systems in urban cities. In her research, she centers on the lived experiences of persons with disabilities living in these cities. She completed an MS in Human-Computer Interaction at Carnegie Mellon, an MS in Information Technology at Carnegie Mellon Africa, and a Bachelors in Information Technology at Makerere University. She has 10 years of experience working as a Front-End Developer and Software Engineer in non-profits and clean energy. 

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