Metro - File #: 2026-0553

• File #: 2026-0553
• Type: Motion / Motion Response
• Status: Agenda Ready
• File created: 7/17/2026
• In control: Board of Directors - Regular Board Meeting
• On agenda: 7/23/2026
• Title: APPROVE Motion by Hahn, Richardson, and Sandoval that the Board directs the Chief Executive Officer to: A. ESTABLISH a minimum of one (1) additional voting seat(s) on the Metro Board of Directors for a regular transit rider. 1. Coordinate with Metro's community advisory councils, community-based organizations, and other stakeholder groups to develop a transparent, inclusive, and accessible process for selecting the regular transit rider representative. 2. Report back on recommendations for implementation of the selected model, including eligibility criteria, a definition of "regular transit rider," appointment procedures, term length, and any necessary statutory or governance changes. 3. Include recommendations that include a framework to ensure the selected transit rider representative has access to appropriate technical resources, training, staff support, and other tools necessary to meaningfully and equitably participate in Board deliberations and decision-making. B. ESTABLISH ...
• Sponsors: Board of Directors - Regular Board Meeting
• Indexes: Appointment, Community Transportation, Governance, Motion / Motion Response, San Fernando, San Fernando Valley Service Sector, San Fernando Valley subregion, South Los Angeles, Surveys

Meeting_Body
REGULAR BOARD MEETING
JULY 23, 2026

Preamble
Motion by:

DIRECTORS HAHN, RICHARDSON, AND SANDOVAL

Metro Board Member Composition and Appointment Structure: Establishing Designated Rider Seat and Small City Seat

With the passage of Measure G in 2024, Los Angeles County voters approved significant reforms to County governance, including expanding the Board of Supervisors from five to nine members in 2032 and establishing an elected County Chief Executive Officer in 2028. As one of the most significant governance reforms in generations, Measure G also presents an opportunity to consider how the Board of Directors of the nation's second-largest transit agency can evolve to better reflect and represent the communities it serves.

In February 2026, the Board established the Ad Hoc Board Composition Committee and, through Motion 33.1, directed that any recommendations be informed by comparative, historical, and demographic context and grounded in robust community outreach - guided by principles of geographic equity, balanced representation, and jurisdictional inclusion. Over four months, Metro conducted presentations to 25 stakeholder organizations, nine hybrid listening sessions, a countywide virtual town hall, and 13 pop-up transit intercepts, generating more than 1,300 engagement touchpoints and nearly 900 survey responses.

The single most consistent finding across every listening session, survey, and transit intercept, from South Los Angeles to the San Fernando Valley to the Gateway Cities and North County, was that Metro's Board should include members who understand the day-to-day experience of riding the system. Metro serves one of the most diverse populations in the nation, and its governance structure should reflect the communities that depend on, and are impacted by, the agency's services and investments.

The concept of reserving a board seat for a transit rider is not unprecedented. As documented in staff's benchmarking analysis, the Massac...