In a unanimous vote, the Los Angeles Metro Board of Directors approved a motion on July 23 authored by Los Angeles County Supervisor and Metro Director Janice Hahn to add a dedicated Metro rider to the board.

The motion gives those who rely on the transit system every day a voting seat on the agency’s highest decision-making body, Hahn said.

“We took a big step toward making Metro more representative of the people we serve. A dedicated rider would bring a different kind of expertise on what’s working, what’s frustrating and how our policies affect the people who rely on this system every day,” Hahn said. “This isn’t about replacing anyone’s voice. It’s about adding a perspective we don’t currently have.

The motion directs Metro staff to coordinate with community advisory councils, community-based organizations and stakeholder groups and report back on a process for selecting the rider representative. Metro Board’s makeup will ultimately need to be approved through state legislation.

“People closest to the problems are closest to the solutions. Transit riders, especially bus riders, who feel the impact of a late bus on their everyday lives have an invaluable perspective on mobility in L.A,” said Alfonso Directo Jr., advocacy director for ACT-LA. “Voting transit riders on the Metro Board would prioritize and uplift a different set of issues than someone who has been elected, and transit riders deserve a direct say on how Metro runs transit. ACT-LA supports the addition of transit riders to Metro Board with voting authority and staffing to meaningfully and equitably participate in decision-making.”

“Transit riders have served and successfully led transit boards, providing needed accountability and oversight. Just ask Congresswoman Lateefah Simon, who served on the BART board as a rider and an accessibility advocate before getting elected to Congress, or founder of Ride New Orleans Fred Neal, Jr., who chaired the New Orleans RTA board and served for eight years,” said Eli Lipmen, executive director of Move LA. “Director Hahn’s motion to add a transit rider – and create guidelines for what it should be – is a huge step forward for Metro.”

Metro is in the process of examining the future makeup of the governing board following the passage of Measure G, which expands the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors from five members to nine by 2032.

For information, visit hahn.lacounty.gov and metro.net.