NYCTRC Bylaws
Revised and adopted, as of December 18, 2025:
ARTICLE I: MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. The membership of the New York City Transit Authority Advisory Council (NYCTAAC, a/k/a NYC Transit Riders Council/NYCTRC) will consist of sixteen members, with six (6) appointed by the New York City Mayor, including one member with bike/ped expertise), five (5) by the New York City Public Advocate (5), and one member from each of the five Borough Presidents in accordance with Section 1204-E of the Public Authorities Law. A member whose term has expired will continue to serve until their successors have been appointed.
Section 2. Every member of the NYCTRC shall be a member of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee (PCAC) to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).
Section 3. Any NYCTRC member who receives, directly or indirectly, money or other valuable consideration in connection with work related to public transportation policies or operations in the MTA region, or who bids for or otherwise formally seeks work as a consultant or contractor with the MTA or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates, shall disclose such involvement in writing to the NYCTRC, to the Governor, and to the official who nominated the member to the council. Such disclosure shall be recorded in the NYCTRC minutes.
Section 4. During the course of discussion of any issue in which a member has a private or pecuniary interest, the member shall orally disclose the nature of the interest and shall refrain from voting on that issue.
ARTICLE II: PURPOSE
Section 1. The purposes of the NYCTRC are defined under Section 1204-A of the Public Authorities Law.
Section 2. The NYCTRC shall study, investigate, monitor, and make recommendations with respect to the maintenance and operation of the New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA), its subsidiaries, and the Staten Island Rapid Transit Operating Authority (SIRTOA).
Section 3. The NYCTRC shall study and investigate all aspects of the day-to-day operation of the NYCTA and SIRTOA, monitor their performance, and recommend changes to improve the efficiency of their operations.
Section 4. The NYCTRC may request and shall receive from any department, division, board, bureau, commission, agency, public authority of the state, or any political subdivision thereof such assistance and data as it requests to enable it to properly carry out its activities for the purposes set forth.
ARTICLE III: OFFICERS
Section 1. The officers of the NYCTRC shall be elected by the members of the NYCTRC from their number and shall consist of a Chair and Vice Chair. The officers shall be elected at the regular May meeting of the NYCTRC and shall hold office for a term of two (2) years from the date of election or until a successor is elected.
Section 2. An officer may be removed from office for cause by a two-thirds vote of the total membership of the NYCTRC.
Section 3. Vacancies of the Chair and/or Vice Chair shall be filled by majority vote of the NYCTRC as they may occur.
Section 4. The Chair shall preside at all meetings and will represent the NYCTRC on the Executive Committee of the PCAC. The Chair will have the power to appoint committees and committee chairs as appropriate.
Section 5. The Vice Chair shall assume the powers and duties of the Chair in their absence.
Section 6. The NYCTRC will recommend to the Governor’s Office a candidate for the Council’s non-voting seat on the MTA Board. In the event of a vacancy, the Council shall nominate a candidate at a regular meeting of the NYCTRC, and the vote shall be taken at the next regular meeting.
ARTICLE IV: MEETINGS
Section 1. Regular meetings of the NYCTRC shall be held once a month.
Section 2. The PCAC staff shall, at the direction of the Chair, prepare and circulate an agenda prior to each meeting of the NYCTRC and shall keep and preserve the minutes of all meetings of the NYCTRC. The PCAC staff shall be responsible for all records and correspondence of the NYCTRC.
Section 3. Special meetings of the NYCTRC may be called by the Chair upon seven (7) days’ notice to the members of the NYCTRC or upon written request signed by three (3) members of the NYCTRC. The notice of a special meeting shall state the purpose of the meeting and the business to be transacted at such meeting.
Section 4. A quorum at any meeting of the NYCTRC shall consist of one-half of the members of the NYCTRC duly appointed and serving.
Section 5. Proxies may vote only if the person giving the proxy specifically designates to the Executive Director of the PCAC or any other member the particular issues to be voted upon and the position to be taken.
Section 6. If any member of the NYCTRC is absent from three (3) consecutive regular NYCTRC/PCAC meetings, or from six (6) such meetings in any twelve month period, the Chair shall prepare a letter directed to the Governor with a copy to the official who nominated the member stating that the member has failed to meet the attendance standards of the NYCTRC and recommending appointment of a new member. However, if the Chair finds that a specific absence or group of absences has been beyond the control of the member and that the cause of that absence or group of absences no longer persists, he or she may exclude that absence or group of absences from consideration in determining whether the member has met the attendance standards of the Members who fail to follow meeting attendance requirements outlined in Article IV Section 6 may be asked to resign from NYCTRC following a two-thirds vote of the total membership of the NYCTRC. If the member is not responsive to outreach via email, phone calls, and certified mail, the elected official who nominated them will be contacted to suggest a suitable replacement for that member on the council.
Section 7. Official NYCTRC positions on issues shall be approved by a majority vote of the membership of the NYCTRC or by a two-thirds vote of those present at a meeting, whichever is less. Press releases and statements to the media on issues shall be approved by the NYCTRC Chair. The NYCTRC Chair has the sole authority to speak on behalf of the NYCTRC membership; however, the Chair may delegate this authority to the Vice Chair of the NYCTRC or the Executive Director of the PCAC.
Section 8. Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised, shall govern all meetings of the NYCTRC consistent with these bylaws.
ARTICLE V: BYLAW REVISIONS
Section 1. The bylaws of the NYCTRC may be amended by a vote of two-thirds of the total membership of the NYCTRC.
Section 2. Amendments to these bylaws shall be moved at a regular meeting of the NYCTRC and the vote taken at the next regular meeting.
NYCTRC Open Meetings Law Resolution, Adopted January 18, 2023: