Assembly Bill A144

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    144
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 8, 2025
                                ___________
 
 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:
 
   Section  1.  Subdivision  5  of section 1205 of the public authorities
 law, as amended by chapter 224 of the laws of 2019, is amended  to  read
 as follows:
   5.  (a)  Any complete or partial closing of a passenger station within
 the city of New York, or any means of public access  to  such  facility,
 except  for  purposes  of  repair  or renovation or in case of emergency
 shall be accomplished only if approved by resolution  of  the  authority
 adopted  by  not  less than a majority of the whole number of members of
 the authority then in office, and only  after  a  public  hearing.  Such
 hearing  shall  be  held  not less than thirty days after notice of such
 proposed closing has been given to, and  comments  solicited  from,  the
 community  board  [as established pursuant to section eighty-four of the
 New York city charter] whose area of jurisdiction includes  the  station
 proposed to be closed or otherwise affected.
   (b)  In  the case of a planned complete closure of a passenger station
 for purposes of repair or renovation, where such station will be out  of
 service for [sixty days] TWENTY-FOUR HOURS or longer the MTA board shall
 adopt  a policy, within ninety days of the effective date of the chapter
 of the laws of two thousand [nineteen] TWENTY-THREE which  amended  this
 subdivision,  that  will  ensure  adequate communication of such work to
 impacted stakeholders where such passenger station is located  including
 but  not limited to: elected representatives, senate and assembly repre-
 sentatives, and community boards at least [forty-five days] SIXTY DAYS  
 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.
              

                                                            LBD00549-01-5
 A. 144                              2
 
 the LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL ELECTED OFFICIAL OR OFFICIALS AND AFFECTED
 community  board  or  boards whose district contains a passenger station
 subject to a planned complete closure or is  contiguous  to  a  district
 that  contains a passenger station subject to a planned complete closure
 located on the same line of service as the passenger station subject  to
 closure  in  writing.  Such  written  notice shall provide such board or
 boards with an option to  request  a  presentation  from  the  authority
 regarding such planned complete closure. Upon request from such board or
 boards the authority shall, at a date convenient to such board or boards
 prior  to  such  closure, present information regarding such closure and
 related service alternatives and also  allow  for  public  comment.  The
 policy  shall  also  require  that  the  authority provide notice to the
 public at least thirty days prior to such closure by: (i) posting notice
 in the passenger stations that are scheduled for closure; and (ii) post-
 ing notice on the authority's website and social media accounts; provid-
 ing information about the planned  complete  closure,  service  alterna-
 tives,  and  directions  on  how  the  public can provide comment to the
 authority regarding such closure. 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. This subdivision shall
 not apply  to  emergency  station  closures  resulting  from  unforeseen
 circumstances  where  such closure is necessary to ensure public health,
 safety and welfare; PROVIDED HOWEVER, THAT FOR ANY EMERGENCY OR  UNFORE-
 SEEN  CLOSURES  THE  AUTHORITY SHALL PROVIDE THE NOTICE REQUIRED BY THIS
 SUBDIVISION WITHIN TWO BUSINESS DAYS AFTER SUCH CLOSURE.
   § 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.