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Assembly requires MTA to notify riders within 24 hours of reported bed‑bug infestations
Summary
Legislation passed obliges the MTA to notify the public within 24 hours when it becomes aware of bed‑bug infestations on trains, buses or subway cars; lawmakers debated verification procedures, training and whether the MTA should be directed on remediation steps.
The Assembly on March 24 approved a bill requiring the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to notify riders within 24 hours after the authority becomes aware of a bed‑bug infestation on any train, subway car or bus, using its existing mass‑notification systems.
Sponsor Assemblymember Colton said the change is a transparency measure intended to build rider confidence. He told colleagues the MTA already has multiple notification channels—email, text and the city 311 system—and that the bill would add bed‑bug alerts to existing practices.
Several lawmakers pressed the sponsor on operational questions: how reports are verified before notice goes out, whether staff are trained to identify bed bugs versus other pests, what follow‑up or remediation notices would say and whether the MTA must remove a vehicle from service. Colton said the bill leaves operational decisions to the MTA’s discretion and anticipated the agency would indicate in notices what actions it took (for example, removing a vehicle from service or treating it).
The Assembly recorded the vote as Ayes 101, Noes 40; the bill passed and takes effect immediately, per the sponsor.
