Ms. Rijos currently serves as the Associate Deputy Commissioner for the Pedestrian Ramp Program (PRP) at the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT). In this leadership role, she spearheads a team of skilled transportation professionals dedicated to the budgeting, scoping, design, and evaluation of approximately 185,000 pedestrian corners, mid-block crossings, and medians across the city. Her team is deeply committed to ensuring that all pedestrian (curb) ramps meet or exceed accessibility laws and guidelines, enhancing safety and accessibility for all New Yorkers.
A licensed professional engineer and a LEED-accredited professional, Ms. Rijos boasts over 25 years of diverse experience in street reconstruction, utility infrastructure, highway engineering, surface transportation (including mass transit and rail systems), recreational spaces, intelligent transportation systems, and transit facilities. She has worked with both City and State agencies throughout the tri-state area and beyond, leading projects that have significantly advanced urban infrastructure.
Before her current role, Ms. Rijos served as the Assistant Commissioner for the NYCDOT’s Capital Program Management. In this capacity, she was responsible for overseeing major street reconstruction initiatives, including managing the agency’s capital budget, planning complex reconstruction projects, and ensuring their successful execution in alignment with budgetary constraints and quality standards.
Ms. Rijos’s career in New York began in the private sector, where she served as the Civil Engineering Deputy Department Manager for URS Corporation. There, she led a team of over 35 professionals, managing numerous large-scale engineering projects in New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts, delivering innovative solutions for urban and suburban infrastructure challenges.
Earlier in her career, Ms. Rijos worked as an engineer for the Puerto Rico Highways & Transportation Authority (PRHTA), gaining invaluable experience in the public sector and transportation management. Additionally, she dedicated time to mentoring disadvantaged girls from low-income families at Girls Quest, where she helped foster academic growth and social development.