What's happening
This bill requires the MTA to provide advance notice and hold public hearings for most station closings over 24 hours, with certain exceptions.
Why it matters
Increases transparency and accountability. By requiring the MTA to notify government officials, community boards, and elected representatives six months in advance, the bill ensures that communities and leaders are not caught off guard by station closures.
Strengthens community input. Mandatory public hearings give affected riders and neighborhoods a formal opportunity to voice concerns, suggest alternatives, and be part of the decision-making process before disruptive changes occur.
Protects major travel periods. The bill specifically bans station closures during the week of Thanksgiving, acknowledging the heightened need for transit access during heavy travel times and reducing inconvenience for riders.
Balances flexibility with oversight. While imposing new requirements for most closures, the bill exempts emergency repairs and brief shutdowns (less than 24 hours), allowing the MTA to respond quickly in urgent situations without bureaucratic delays.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Require Notice on MTA Closures
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Enacting clause stricken
- Referred to corporations, authorities and commissions
- Referred to corporations, authorities and commissions
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4399
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 4, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. LENTOL -- read once and referred to the Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions
AN ACT to amend the public authorities law, in relation to requiring the MTA to post a schedule of station closings
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section 1277 of the public authorities law, as added by chapter 521 of the laws of 2018, is amended to read as follows:
2. [A public hearing or hearings shall be held at least thirty days prior to the closure of any transportation facility due to construction, improvement, reconstruction or rehabilitation where such facility will be out-of-service for ninety days or longer.] a. Whenever the authority will close a station for a period of time in excess of twenty-four hours, the authority, at least six months prior to such scheduled closing date, must file a copy of such scheduled closings with the state comptroller, the New York city controller, the New York city office of economic development, all affected community boards, and any local, state, or federal elected official.
b. The authority shall be required to hold a public hearing after the filing of the scheduled closings but prior to such closing date. Public hearings required by this subdivision shall be held at one or more locations conveniently accessible to the persons who would be affected by such closure.
c. The authority shall not close any station for one week commencing on the fourth Wednesday in November.
d. The authority shall not be required to comply with the provisions of this subdivision for any closing that results from emergency repair or any closing that will be less than twenty-four hours in duration.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to any station closings that occur no sooner than seven months after such effective date.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04426-02-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.