The LA Metro Board unanimously advanced a dedicated voting seat for a regular transit rider on July 23, although state legislation is still required to create the position.

Empty passenger compartment inside a Los Angeles Metro train.
Passenger seating and aisle inside a Los Angeles Metro train. Photo: HanSangYoon / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0. Illustrative archive image; it does not depict the July 23, 2026 Board vote.

Board vote sets a detailed implementation process

The unanimously approved motion⁠ was authored by Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn and co-authored by Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson and Pomona Mayor Tim Sandoval. It directs Metro staff to work with community advisory councils, community-based organizations and other stakeholders on a transparent selection process.

Under the official motion⁠, the staff report must address eligibility, the definition of a “regular transit rider,” appointment procedures, term length and any statutory or governance changes. It must also recommend training, technical resources and staff support for the representative.

Metro says its Board of Directors includes 13 members⁠ representing different parts of Los Angeles County. The proposed rider position would be an additional voting seat, but the board’s final composition must be authorized through state legislation.

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Rider input shaped the proposal

Metro’s four-month outreach included presentations to 25 stakeholder organizations, nine hybrid listening sessions, a countywide virtual town hall and 13 pop-up transit intercepts. The process generated more than 1,300 engagement touchpoints and nearly 900 survey responses, with rider representation emerging as the most consistent request.

“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.

A separate proposal to create a voting seat for smaller Los Angeles County cities was referred back to the Ad Hoc Board Composition Committee for further study. Metro is reviewing its governance structure after Measure G approved the expansion of the County Board of Supervisors from five members to nine in 2032.

The next step is the Metro staff report outlining the selection model and required governance changes. No deadline for that report was disclosed, and the rider seat will not be filled unless the necessary legislation is enacted.

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