ALBANY – New legislation signed by Governor Kathy Hochul requires that at least one member of the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) Board be an individual who is transit dependent due to a disability. This move brings a permanent voice to the governing board of the nation’s largest transit system.
“For decades, the disability rights movement has said loud and clear: nothing about us without us,” said Governor Hochul. “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.”
The governor appointed Dr. John-Ross Rizzo, a 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, she said.
This new law follows the appointment of MTA’s first agency-wide Chief Accessibility Officer, who has led the implementation of policies, initiatives, and programs that advance accessibility throughout the system.
The MTA operates the Metro-North Railroads on both sides of the Hudson River.
