Legislation S.5069A/A.4504A Ensures at Least One Member of the MTA’s Board Is an Individual Who Is Transit Dependent Due to a Disability
Builds on MTA’s Historic Steps to Improve Accessibility Under Governor Hochul’s Leadership
Governor Kathy Hochul today signed legislation S.5069A/A.4504A to ensure that at least one member of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Board will be an individual who is transit dependent due to a disability, advancing equity on the Board of the nation’s largest transit system. This action builds on Governor Hochul’s legacy of ensuring representation for transit dependent riders on the governing boards of regional transit authorities across the State.
“For decades, the disability rights movement has said loud and clear: nothing about us without us,” Governor Hochul said. “I'm committed to improving accessibility across the MTA's network of buses, trains and subways. This new law will ensure the disability community has a voice and a seat at the table in deciding the future of transit in New York."
Governor Hochul appointed Dr. John-Ross Rizzo, a nationally recognized leader in rehabilitation medicine and adaptive technology at NYU Langone, to the MTA Board in June 2023. Having suffered vision loss at a young age, he currently provides a critical voice for the disability community on the Board.
Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, the MTA has taken historic steps to improve accessibility throughout the system. The MTA has completed accessibility upgrades at a record pace, and has allocated $5.2 billion of the 2020-2024 capital plan exclusively to accessibility improvements. Additionally, the MTA appointed the first agencywide Chief Accessibility Officer in 2021, who has led the implementation of policies, initiatives and programs that advance accessibility throughout the system.
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