Carl Berkowitz, Ph.D., PE, AICP

Carl Berkowitz, Ph.D., PE, AICP is a transportation and traffic engineering expert and serves as a litigation consultant. He is frequently consulted at the initial stages of a potential litigation for impartial input that can make the crucial difference between success and failure. He can assess the technical merits of a case and advise the client if the action is worth pursuing. He has the background and experience to explain complex issues in layman terms, suggest strategies, investigate and uncover facts, perform literature reviews and research, prepare reports and safety evaluations. His primary practice areas are: pedestrians, passengers, operators, bicyclists, public transportation, passenger terminals, urban rail (subway), commuter and intercity rail, transit and intercity bus, school bus, passenger ferries, urban light-rail, people-movers, escalators, stairs, ramps, elevators, walking areas, platforms and stations, railroad crossings and right-of-way trespass, train/bus operations, transportation access, bus stops, intersections, geometric design, traffic control, safe walking, parking facilities, freight facilities, workplace safety, human factors, human errors, training, perception-reaction, information and communication systems, best practices, rules, regulations, standards and guidelines, workplace safety, OSHA and FELA.

Services

Dr. Berkowitz provides a comprehensive range of expert services in transportation and traffic engineering. Dr. Berkowitz has become a significant provider of litigation support through his experience and knowledge of codes, standards and practices. Typical services include:

• Comprehensive litigation support, depositions, affidavits, interrogatories, courtroom testimony, inspections, expert reports, literature review, advising on industry practices and standard of care, performing review of other expert reports, help with case preparation, forming opinions on the technical merit of the case, and serving plaintiff and defense causes

• Incident investigation, hazard and causation analysis, error and safety analysis, and risk based inspection programs; evaluation and study report

• Industry and government rules, regulations, guidelines, controls, policies, procedures and standards
• Pedestrian/passenger injuries and fatalities (trains, light rail, streetcars, buses, ferries, bicycles, walkways, roadways and terminals)
• Americans with Disabilities Act, OSHA and FELA
• Employee training and supervision (job duties, rules, occupational safety, regulations, reasonable conduct and safety culture)
• Organization design, management failures and management system audits
• Accessibility and safety for people with special needs
• Subway, commuter rail, Amtrak, light rail and bus accident investigations and analysis
• Platform falls, platform crowding, platform gaps, door incidents, train/bus jerk falls, on train/bus falls, between train falls and off train falls
• Vehicle (train, light rail, bus, motor vehicle, commercial vehicle) investigation, including: speed, time, emergency braking, response time, stopping distance, line of sight, information downloads, and black box
• Terminals - intermodal, multimodal, freight, warehouse, distribution, container, truck stops, depot, passenger, rail freight and marine
• Railroad-highway grade crossings, railroad-pedestrian grade crossings and pedestrian-roadway crossings
• Railroad right of way - trespass, young people, information systems, collisions, suicide, accidental falls, retrieving property and intrusion detection
• Slips, trips, missteps, scuffs and falls (walkways, pathways, ramps, stairs, escalators, elevators, people movers, and heights)
• Same level falls (water, ice, snow, contaminants and slippery surfaces) abrupt changes in walkway, holes and depressions in walking surface
• Falls from heights (stairs, ladders, loading docks, retaining walls and platforms)
• Stair design (riser, tread and width)
• Human factors in pedestrian and vehicle interactions (errors, ergonomics, performance, perception-response, attention, reaction time, response time, design and fatigue)
• Vehicle operator/driver (train, light rail, bus, motor vehicle, commercial vehicle) hiring practices, training, human errors, ergonomics, performance, reaction-response time, attention, fatigue, accident causations, compliance, environmental issues and reasonable conduct
• Lighting, visibility, line of sight and conspicuity
• Bus accidents (bus stop access, walking path, bus stop design, boarding, alighting, non-collision, pedestrian, passenger, turning, intersection, operator, training, human factors, rule compliance, best practices, data collection/safety reporting and preventable)
• Bus stops, bus shelters, bus terminals, bus access (passengers and school children)
• Student safety (bus stops, parking lot, loading and unloading school buses, safe walking path, traffic control and management, personnel training, assessment, safety and security)
• Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (latest edition)
• Geometric design, level of service, and capacity factors of highways and streets (designing to standards)
• Information technology, signage, communication systems and wayfinding
• Work zone and workplace safety (pedestrians, vehicles and workers)
• Parking facilities (design, operation, access and wayfinding)
• Safety, security and reliability (identify, evaluate and eliminate hazards)
• Walking and traction audit (surface requirements, maintenance procedures, slip resistance testing and coefficient of friction)
• Traffic regulations and controls (incidents, warnings, signs, markings, signals and access)
• Research applicable codes, guidelines and standards

Litigation Support Services

Dr. Carl Berkowitz provides expert witness services to plaintiff or defendant attorneys. He provides a variety of services which includes, but not limited to, accident investigations, reports, and testimony to support resolution of litigation claims.

Areas of Expertise

Additional Expertise:

Child Safety, Driver Behavior, Elevator & Escalator, Slip Trip & Fall, Parking Lots/Garages, Pedestrian & Bicycle Safety, Railroad Safety, Transportation Rules & Regulations, Safety Equipment, School Safety, Traffic/Highway Safety, Walking & Working Surfaces.

Profile

Dr. Carl Berkowitz, Ph.D., PE, AICP has held various managerial and administrative positions in the transportation industry, government, private and academic sectors. He has extensive multi-modal experience in transportation; and has written and edited numerous
reports, studies, and articles.

He is a Professional Engineer, and a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (Fellow), Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals, Institute of Transportation Engineers, UK Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, ASTM International, American
Society of Safety Engineers, American Society of Transportation & Logistics, National Assn. of Railroad Safety Consultants and Investigators, American Institute of Certified Planners and APA, American National Standards Institute, American Public Transportation Association, American Railway Engineering and Maintenance of Way Association.

He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering and an MBA in Industrial Management from The City College of New York, and a Master's and a Ph.D. in Transportation Planning and Engineering from Polytechnic University (NYU-Poly).

He was Distinguished Professor of Transportation and Director, Center for Intermodal Transportation Safety and Security (ITSS) at Florida Atlantic University, and Deputy Director, Florida University Consortium. Dr. Berkowitz was also Professor of Transportation and Aviation,
Dowling College, National Aviation and Transportation Center and Adjunct and Visiting Professor at City University of New York.

Areas Served

All States Principal Offices: Long Island, NY, Boston, MA, Boca Raton, FL, San Diego, CA, Los Angeles, CA,

Professional Experience

Transportation and Traffic Engineering Consultant, 1988 - Present
New York City Department of Transportation, New York, 1970 – 88
New York State Office of Planning Coordination, New York, 1967 - 70
New York State Department of Transportation, Babylon, NY, 1963 - 67
New York City Transit Authority, New York, 1962 - 63
New York City Department of Health, New York, 1961
Essential Demolition Company, Brooklyn, NY, 1958 - 60

Licenses

Professional Engineer (PE)

Affiliations

Professional Engineer: New York, New Jersey
American Association of Railroad Superintendents
American Institute of Certified Planners
American Physical Society (Includes Institute of Physics)
American Planning Association
American Public Transportation Association, Technical Committees (Rail Safety and Security, Rail Safety, Bus Safety and Security Affairs)
American Railway Engineering and Maintenance of Way Association, Technical Committees 11 and 12
American Society of Biomechanics
American Society of Civil Engineers, Fellow
American Society of Mechanical Engineering, Bioengineering and Applied Mechanics Divisions
American Society of Safety Professionals, Transportation and Health Care Practice Specialty
American Traffic Safety Service Association,
Association for Supply Chain Management
Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals
ASTM, International, Technical Committee F13 and Task Group D11.20.01
Biomedical Engineering Society
Charter Institute of Logistics and Transport (Great Britain), Charter Member
Forensic Expert Witness Association
Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, Surface Transportation, Health Care Technical Group, and Forensic Technical Group
International Association of Public Transport (UITP), Research in Mobility Committee
International Society of Biomechanics
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the Vehicle Technology Society, Communication Based Train Control Interoperability Study Group
Institute of Transportation Engineers
International Marine Transit Association/Interferry, Founder
Metropolitan Association of Urban Designers and Environmental Planners, (MAUDEP) Founder
National Association of Railroad Safety Consultants and Investigators
National Fire Protection Association
National Waste and Recycling Association
Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America
The Air Brake Association

Qualifications

Surface Transportation Security Advisory Committee, Established by Congress as part of the TSA Modernization Act, of 2018, Voting Member, 2022 – Present

Education

Ph.D. Transportation Planning and Engineering, Polytechnic Institute of New York (NYU-Tandon)