In-Person Public Comments Also Return
Livestream Continues to Be Available to the Public and News Media
Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Chairman and CEO Patrick Foye today announced that in accordance with Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s June 24 lifting of New York’s COVID-19 state of emergency, the MTA will resume holding fully in-person meetings of the MTA Board and the MTA Board’s committees, to be held separately over two days. The first meetings to return to the pre-pandemic procedure will be six meetings of the MTA Board’s committees, to be held in sequence on Monday, July 19. On Wednesday, July 21, a the Board’s Safety Committee will meet at 9:00 a.m., followed by a meeting at 10:00 a.m. of the full MTA Board.
Returning to the procedures that had been in place before the start of the pandemic, members of the public are invited to speak in person at the committee meetings and the meeting of the full MTA Board.
“With Governor Cuomo lifting Covid restrictions, the time has come for the MTA to resume separate, in-person meetings of the MTA Board’s committees,” Chairman Foye said. “This will restore the MTA to its usual transparency procedures while we continue to ensure participant safety. I thank all stakeholders, including MTA board members, the public, members of the news media, and MTA staff, for enabling us to implement virtual meetings that allowed MTA governance to continue smoothly and transparently for 18 extremely difficult months.”
On Monday, July 19, MTA Board committee chairs will convene meetings of the MTA Board’s Long Island Rail Road, Metro-North Railroad, New York City Transit and Bus, MTA Bridges and Tunnels, Finance, Capital Program Oversight, and Audit committees. On Wednesday, July 21, the Safety Committee will convene at 9:00 a.m., followed by the full MTA Board at 10:00 a.m. For details on the meeting schedules and procedures for public participation, and to watch the meeting livestream and access meeting materials, the public is encouraged to visit the meeting website at https://new.mta.info/transparency/board-and-committee-meetings/july-2021.
Accredited members of the news media are invited to cover the meeting in-person or – as an increased level of transparency that will continue from meetings held during the pandemic – to participate in a post-meeting news conference via Zoom.
Those who wish to participate in the public comment period for the full board meeting will have the opportunity to register at 2 Broadway on Wednesday, July 21, between 9:25 a.m. and 9:55 a.m. In keeping with MTA rules, each speaker will have two minutes. Participants are required to adhere to the MTA’s Code of Conduct. For safety reasons, capacity for the public is limited and individuals will be admitted on a first come, first served basis. Attendees who are vaccinated are invited to wear a mask if they desire. Unvaccinated individuals are asked to wear a mask while at 2 Broadway and while in the board meeting room.