Establishes the 'R.I.D.E.R Rider Interests Deserve Empowering Representation' Act; relates to the powers and duties of the citizens advisory committee of the…

Showing the cosponsors who are on Agora, A to Z. The official record may list more.

• Democratic1

Shown in neutral colors by design; Agora is non-partisan.

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why Andrew Gounardes says this is needed

The Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA, PCAC, was created by the legislature in 1981 to serve as the official voice for MTA riders. The council is composed of members from the New York City Trans- it Riders Council, Long Island Rail Road Commuter Council, and Metro- North Railroad Commuter Council. Each council elects one non-voting member to the MTA Board. For nearly a half century, the councils, their nonvoting representatives on the MTA Board, and PCAC staff, have advocated for riders across the MTA service territory, fighting to keep transit affordable, allow all riders to access the fastest transit regardless of income or physical ability, and ensure that the MTA is adequately funded. PCAC exists to give riders a voice, holding the MTA accountable to its users by holding regular public meetings, providing public commentary, undertaking research projects, advocating for legislation that would benefit riders, and providing informed and timely advice on service, capital invest- ments, financing, communications, system management, and more. Unfortunately, a large number of vacancies on PCAC and its three coun- cils threatens this critical work. A quarter of the seats on the New York City Transit Riders Council, eight of the 13 seats on the LIRR Commuter Council, and nearly half of the seats on the Metro-North Rail- road Commuter Council are vacant. This large number of vacancies, 17 of the 40 total seats as of January 2025, make it challenging for the coun- cils to achieve a quorum, thereby barring the councils from conducting basic functions such as approving minutes or passing resolutions. This legislation will address vacancies and enhance local control by broadening the set of elected officials who are able to recommend appointees to the Executive's appointments office, while ensuring collaboration with countywide elected officials. It would duplicate a successful process that is already in place for the Metro-North Railroad Commuter Council. This legislation will also allow for PCAC's chair to make interim appointments to the rider councils, ensuring that no MTA rider voice goes unrepresented while the oftentimes lengthy formal appointments process takes place. Finally, the legislation conforms the names of the councils used in statute with those used on official council documents and expands the jurisdiction of the Metro-North Railroad Commuter Coun- cil to include the Hell Gate Line.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.