Sunny Ng \ Senior Software Engineer at MTA, Digital Services
Sunny Ng is a senior software engineer at the MTA’s digital services team. Prior to joining the team late last year, he has worked in the tech industry for over 10 years across startups and corporations of different sizes, doing full-stack web development. He has even interned at the Toronto Transit Commission. In his free time, he has been actively working on transit-related side projects, like the realtime subway map–The Weekendest (now also an iOS app), and Subwaydle. He holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Computer Engineering from the University of Waterloo.
People just need to drive less, and we need to dedicate less road space to drivers.
Why transportation?
I grew up in Mississauga, ON, a suburb of Toronto, and didn’t have access to a car. Getting around meant waiting for unreliable buses with long headways (though I later realized Mississauga was actually pretty good for North American suburbs’ standards), or bumming rides from my friends or parents. Having experienced living in Hong Kong in my early childhood, as well as being in close proximity to a real city like Toronto, showed me that there is a better way. I relied on public transit when I was in college, as our student union implemented a universal transit pass, and public transit became such a passion of mine.
What’s your favorite way to get around the YPT-NYC region?
Obviously, I love the subway here. It’s cliché to call anything an engineering marvel, but it really is. There is no faster or more efficient way to get to a lot of places than it. With that being said, riding a Citi Bike e-bike over the Williamsburg Bridge is so exhilarating. It never gets old.
If you could snap your fingers and make one change to regional transportation, what would it be?
Ban free parking and implement resident parking permits. The success of Congestion Pricing has shown that people are more inclined to take public transit when we disincentivize driving, and we need to build on that. It’s absurd to me that a place with such high rents would allow you to store a giant hunk of metal and whatever belongings you leave inside it for free on public property. The price of parking should be similar to renting a storage unit from Manhattan Mini Storage or a similar per-footage rent as your apartment. It’s only fair. Also, the first time I witnessed the ritual of alternate-side parking was mind-blowing. The amount of time people spend weekly idling their cars just to hog a parking space is so silly. People just need to drive less, and we need to dedicate less road space to drivers. It drives me nuts whenever a busload of people is blocked by a selfish driver that is double-parked, parked sloppily, or blocking the box.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
It’s okay to not have the answers to everything. Whether it’s technical knowledge, or your career goals, if you don’t know, or aren’t sure about something, chances are you’re not the only one. And it doesn’t mean you’re any less capable.
What are you working on currently that you’re most excited about?
I’m really excited about all the new customer-facing tools that our team is rolling out, such as new countdown clocks and information screens. Our subway is operationally quite different compared to other systems around the world, so I’m looking forward to us building more tools that are catered to our riders’ unique experiences and needs that are not served by existing solutions.
Do you have a favorite transportation book, blog, newsletter, podcast, or YouTube channel?
I’ve been binge-watching Miles in Transit’s YouTube channel. I live vicariously through his misadventures with Greyhound and him slumming it on long-distance Amtrak routes in coach, both of which I’d rather experience from afar. Despite claiming that he can’t make these videos with ease, they’re all entertaining to watch!
What is your favorite transportation-related fun fact or joke?
Don’t know how fun this is, but the J/Z and M trains of opposite directions interline in Brooklyn, and it causes all sorts of headaches for software developers.
YPT-NYC 