A 144: 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.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 144 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY (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: 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. LBD00549-01-5 
 A. 144 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.