Bill Text: NY A00203 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

---

Bill Title: Requires the MTA to file a copy of proposed station closings with various governmental agencies; provides that the MTA shall hold a public hearing on any proposed closings.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-03 - referred to corporations, authorities and commissions [A00203 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-A00203-Introduced.html

---

                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                           203

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                       (Prefiled)

                                     January 4, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  EICHENSTEIN -- 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  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section  1.  Subdivision  5  of section 1205 of the public authorities
     2  law, as amended by chapter 224 of the laws of 2019, is amended  to  read
     3  as follows:
     4    5.  (a)  Any complete or partial closing of a passenger station within
     5  the city of New York, or any means of public access  to  such  facility,
     6  except  for  purposes  of  repair  or renovation or in case of emergency
     7  shall be accomplished only if approved by resolution  of  the  authority
     8  adopted  by  not  less than a majority of the whole number of members of
     9  the authority then in office, and only  after  a  public  hearing.  Such
    10  hearing  shall  be  held  not less than thirty days after notice of such
    11  proposed closing has been given to, and  comments  solicited  from,  the
    12  community  board  [as established pursuant to section eighty-four of the
    13  New York city charter] whose area of jurisdiction includes  the  station
    14  proposed to be closed or otherwise affected.
    15    (b)  In  the case of a planned complete closure of a passenger station
    16  for purposes of repair or renovation, where such station will be out  of
    17  service for [sixty days] twenty-four hours or longer the MTA board shall
    18  adopt  a policy, within ninety days of the effective date of the chapter
    19  of the laws of two thousand [nineteen] twenty-three which  amended  this
    20  subdivision,  that  will  ensure  adequate communication of such work to
    21  impacted stakeholders where such passenger station is located  including
    22  but  not limited to: elected representatives, senate and assembly repre-
    23  sentatives, and community boards at least [forty-five days] sixty days  
    24  prior to such closure. Such policy shall require the authority to notify

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD00184-01-3
        A. 203                              2

     1  the local, state, and federal elected official or officials and affected
     2  community  board  or  boards whose district contains a passenger station
     3  subject to a planned complete closure or is  contiguous  to  a  district
     4  that  contains a passenger station subject to a planned complete closure
     5  located on the same line of service as the passenger station subject  to
     6  closure  in  writing.  Such  written  notice shall provide such board or
     7  boards with an option to  request  a  presentation  from  the  authority
     8  regarding such planned complete closure. Upon request from such board or
     9  boards the authority shall, at a date convenient to such board or boards
    10  prior  to  such  closure, present information regarding such closure and
    11  related service alternatives and also  allow  for  public  comment.  The
    12  policy  shall  also  require  that  the  authority provide notice to the
    13  public at least thirty days prior to such closure by: (i) posting notice
    14  in the passenger stations that are scheduled for closure; and (ii) post-
    15  ing notice on the authority's website and social media accounts; provid-
    16  ing information about the planned  complete  closure,  service  alterna-
    17  tives,  and  directions  on  how  the  public can provide comment to the
    18  authority regarding such closure. The authority  shall  be  required  to
    19  hold  a  public  hearing  after the filing of the scheduled closings but
    20  prior to such closing date. Public hearings required by this subdivision
    21  shall be held at one or more locations conveniently  accessible  to  the
    22  persons  who  would  be affected by such closure. This subdivision shall
    23  not apply  to  emergency  station  closures  resulting  from  unforeseen
    24  circumstances  where  such closure is necessary to ensure public health,
    25  safety and welfare; provided however, that for any emergency or  unfore-
    26  seen  closures  the  authority shall provide the notice required by this
    27  subdivision within two business days after such closure.
    28    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately and  shall  apply  to  any
    29  station  closings  that  occur  no  sooner  than seven months after such
    30  effective date.