Rider Representation Package:
- Rider Representation Act — S.1148/A.1162 (Gounardes/Dinowitz)
Empowers representatives of NYC Transit, LIRR, and Metro-North riders with voting MTA Board seats; creates a new voting City-appointed board member to advocate for riders with disabilities.
- R.I.D.E.R. Act — S.7679/A.8169 (Gounardes/Rosenthal)
Codifies independence of PCAC and rider councils. Broadens slate of elected officials eligible to recommend members to the MTA’s three advisory councils. Guarantees regional representation on such councils by providing interim service.
- Relates to the LIRR Commuter Council — S.5164/A.5134 (Comrie/Solages)
Increases public participation on the Council by decreasing the required number of members recommended by the county executives of Nassau, Suffolk, Queens, and Kings Counties from three members each to one member each, which has severely limited nominations.
- Open meetings law reform — S.1027/A.3615 (May/Simone)
Improves upon provisions of the open meetings law set to expire this year to allow members of the public and appointed members of boards and advisory committees such as PCAC and its Councils to participate in remote meetings and count toward a quorum.
Transit Affordability and Access:
- One City, One Fare Act — S.8620/A.9395 (Comrie/Hevesi)
Directs the MTA to conduct a field study of a unified city fare zone across the LIRR and Metro-North that includes joint railroad tickets and weekly CityTickets with free transfers to subways and buses for all intracity (within NYC) trips – growing intracity ridership and enhancing transit for New Yorkers in subway deserts.
- Ride N.Y. Act — S.####/A.#### (TBD/Carroll)
Directs the Departments of Transportation, Motor Vehicles, and Office of General Services, in tandem with transit providers around New York State, to begin an integrated travel project; enabling contactless fare payment, simplified enrollment in reduced-fare programs for veteran, disabled, senior, and Medicare-eligible New Yorkers, and standardized transit information statewide.
- Sustainable Housing and Sprawl Prevention Act — S.3492A/A.6283A (May/Kelles)
In addition to destroying 64,000 acres of New York’s forest land between 2001 and 2019 (RPA), urban sprawl makes transit service cost prohibitive. This legislation promotes infill development, allowing riders to live closer to the transit they depend on.
CONTACT: Brian Fritsch, [email protected], 319-432-8503