Overview
- Mayor Zohran Mamdani nominated Janette Sadik-Khan and Melanie Hartzog to two of the city's four seats on the MTA board, and those nominations must be confirmed by the state Senate before the current legislative session ends.
- Sadik-Khan is a former DOT commissioner credited with Citi Bike, protected bike lanes, pedestrian plazas, and creating Select Bus Service; her street‑redesign experience directly relates to the mayor’s push for faster buses.
- Hartzog served as New York City budget director and deputy mayor for health and human services and led parts of the pandemic response, bringing operations and budget experience to oversight of transit projects and services.
- MTA Chair Janno Lieber has warned that free fares could harm the agency’s finances, and board members are legally obliged to prioritize the MTA’s financial health when voting on fares, contracts, or service changes.
- If confirmed, the new city appointees could press for bus‑priority measures like all‑door boarding and expanded bus lanes, but any move on free fares would face fiscal constraints, gubernatorial influence on the board, and close coordination on major capital projects.