S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K ________________________________________________________________________ 5506 2011-2012 Regular Sessions I N S E N A T E May 26, 2011 ___________ Introduced by Sen. PERKINS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation AN ACT to amend the public authorities law, in relation to enacting the metropolitan transportation authority rider's bill of rights THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM- BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: 1 Section 1. The public authorities law is amended by adding a new 2 section 1266-j to read as follows: 3 S 1266-J. METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY RIDER'S BILL OF 4 RIGHTS. ALL MEMBERS OF NEW YORK CITY'S TRANSIT RIDING PUBLIC HAVE THE 5 RIGHT TO: 6 1. RELIABLE, ON-TIME, AFFORDABLE AND EFFICIENT TRANSIT. 7 2. ACCESS TO ACCURATE, REAL-TIME INFORMATION AND CLEAR ANNOUNCEMENTS 8 ABOUT WHEN TRAINS AND BUSES WILL ARRIVE AND INFORMATION CONCERNING ANY 9 SIGNIFICANT SERVICE DELAYS BEFORE SWIPING A METROCARD, OR UPON ARRIVAL 10 AT A BUS STOP. IF A BUS, SUBWAY, OR COMMUTER RAIL TRAIN IS MORE THAN 11 FIFTEEN MINUTES LATE, UPDATED SERVICE INFORMATION WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE 12 VIA INTERNET, EMAIL OR TEXT MESSAGE TO SUBSCRIBERS, P.A. ANNOUNCEMENTS 13 ON SUBWAY PLATFORMS, AND ELECTRONIC MESSAGE BOARDS ON COMMUTER RAIL 14 PLATFORMS. 15 3. A MORE ACCESSIBLE TRANSIT SYSTEM, WITH LEVEL BOARDING FOR BUSES AND 16 WORKING ELEVATORS AND ESCALATORS WITHIN ALL SUBWAY STATIONS. 17 4. SAFE AND WELL-LIT SUBWAY AND BUS FACILITIES, WITH MTA EMPLOYEES ON 18 HAND TO PROVIDE INFORMATION AND RESPOND IN CASE OF EMERGENCY. 19 5. CLEAN, REGULARLY MAINTAINED MTA FACILITIES INCLUDING SUBWAY 20 STATIONS, SUBWAY CARS, BUSES AND BUS STOPS. 21 6. HELPFUL, COURTEOUS SERVICE FROM STATION AGENTS, BUS DRIVERS AND 22 OTHER MTA EMPLOYEES. 23 7. TRANSPARENT AND EASILY-USED LINES OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN RIDERS 24 AND THE MTA WITH MECHANISMS IN PLACE TO ADDRESS RIDER CONCERNS AND 25 COMPLAINTS. CONVENIENT AND PROMINENTLY LOCATED BUS, TRAIN, AND STATION EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD09843-02-1 S. 5506 2 1 POSTERS WILL PROVIDE THE INFORMATION NEEDED TO REGISTER COMMENTS AND 2 COMPLAINTS WHICH WILL BE RESPONDED TO BY TOP LEVEL MANAGEMENT. 3 8. FARE HIKES THAT ARE ONLY ENACTED AS A LAST RESORT WHEN ALL OTHER 4 FUNDING OPTIONS HAVE BEEN EXHAUSTED, AS WELL AS STABLE FUNDING FOR THE 5 MTA FROM THE STATE AND CITY, IN GOOD ECONOMIC TIMES AND BAD. 6 9. OFFICIAL PRIORITIZATION OF THE OPERATION, MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVE- 7 MENT OF THE EXISTING TRAIN AND BUS NETWORK BEFORE ITS EXPANSION. 8 10. A MINIMUM OF ONE TRANSIT WORKER AND ONE TRANSIT RIDER AS VOTING 9 MEMBERS OF THE MTA BOARD OF DIRECTORS. 10 S 2. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed- 11 ing the date on which it shall have become a law.