Elaine Hsieh // E-Bike Charging Program Manager, NYC DOT
Working with nature and drawing inspiration from them, while coexisting with different ecosystems, is a difficult task but should be at the core of how we build long-term resilient cities.
Elaine is an urban planner and advocate for accessible public transit and micromobility. She currently works as a Program Manager for E-Bike Charging at NYC DOT, where she oversees the deployment of e-bike battery swapping cabinets across the city to reduce indoor charging and the risk of battery fires. While her background includes working on electric vehicle buses, economic analysis, and environmental planning, she remains drawn to the inherently interdisciplinary field, acknowledging that everything is connected. When she’s not rambling about transportation, she loves crafting (usually crochet or knit) in Prospect Park, exploring different neighborhoods, and eating and cooking delicious foods. She holds a Master of Urban Planning from Columbia University and dual Bachelor’s degrees in Environmental Economics and City Planning from the University of California, Berkeley.
Why transportation?
I grew up taking BART in the California Bay Area and became enamored by the passing environments, including the beautiful and hilly San Francisco houses, while riding the Red line (I called it the Richmond line) through Oakland and then into SF, where my grandmother lived. I remember how I loved that feeling of being able to eat my burrito (yes, we ate on BART) sitting on the muted teal seats, tucked away in the corner, and just observed how this moving object took me across the bay. The blissful experiences were insert scratch track unfortunately stinted by the great number of times I sprinted to the platform at El Cerrito Del Norte Station just to miss my train and wait another 30 minutes until the next one came, and that sucked. I remember thinking, this is a really cool thing, but why are there so many issues with BART?! and the story begins…
What’s your favorite way to get around the YPT-NYC region?
For all the hate MTA gets, I do appreciate that it (most of the time) reliably gets me to the places I need to go every day! Shout out to all my MTA friends that are helping to do the hard (and greatly under appreciated) work.
If you could snap your fingers and make one change to regional transportation, what would it be?
Since I’m from California, it would be great to see the San Francisco to Los Angeles high-speed rail exist (and in use) at some point in my lifetime.
Who inspires you?
A cheeky response, but I’m inspired by nature and believe we have a lot to learn from animals and plants when it comes to building things that are resilient. We know how the aerodynamics of birds inspired airplanes and trains and how beavers inspired dams. Working with nature and drawing inspiration from them, while coexisting with different ecosystems, is a difficult task but should be at the core of how we build long-term resilience cities.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
If you’re thinking it, someone else is probably thinking it too! Trust your gut, but do your research too.
Also, pay attention to what’s actually happening during meetings. Yes, the content, but also the politics and the people dynamics. Urban planning and transportation is inherently and historically political. Knowing the history of your project, the neighborhoods you’re serving (and not serving), the stakeholders involved (or not involved), and the local and federal politics is not just useful but essential to project planning and implementation.
And, especially if you are a woman or a person of color, know that you will sometimes (or oftentimes) be either the only woman in the room or the only person of color in the room. The planning and transportation landscape is changing, but if you are interested I’m also in a group for WoC in transportation, so add me on Linkedin and we can connect!
What are you working on currently that you’re most excited about?
Now that I work in electric bikes and micromobility charging, I’m very excited to expand battery-swapping in the city! The other week I was doing outreach and speaking to some delivery workers who rode e-bikes and many shared how they were already familiar with the technology and that they’ve known about this concept for years. It’s happening and working around the world, and we’re late to the party!
YPT-NYC 