Metro

De Blasio taps disability commissioner for MTA board

Mayor Bill de Blasio’s newest pick for the MTA board would be its first disabled member.

Victor Calise, who currently serves as commissioner of the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities, has been tapped by Hizzoner for one of the city’s two open slots on the transit agency’s board, City Hall announced Monday.

“Victor believes in his heart that it is our civic and moral duty to make our subways, buses and Access-A-Ride services more inclusive for everyone,” de Blasio said in a statement. “[His] relentless pursuit to make New York City the most accessible place in the world is exactly the type of ardent leadership we need on the MTA Board.”

The appointment is now in the hands of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who must decide whether to put him up for a state Senate confirmation vote.

Nominating Calise, who has used a wheelchair since 1994, comes after years of calls for disabled representation on the board, where discussions on issues such as Access-A-Ride funding rarely include people with disabilities.

Less than a quarter of subway stations are wheelchair-accessible. The MTA has outraged advocates in recent months by making additional accessibility upgrades and the future of Access-A-Ride conditional on funding from the city that de Blasio has been hesitant to provide.

“The human impact is getting lost in this whole story. It’s not just about the financial bottom-line,” said Jessica Murray, an organizer with the group Rise and Resist.

Calise with Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Calise with Mayor Michael Bloomberg.William Farrington

“Representation is important, but we hope he’s actually able to stand up for riders with disabilities,” she said.

In a statement, Calise called his unique position on the board “important responsibility that I will not take lightly.”

“I… pledge to advocate for a transit system that works well for everyone — including the millions of New Yorkers and visitors who have intellectual/developmental, vision, hearing or physical disabilities,” he said.

The city holds four of the MTA board’s 11 voting appointments, but has not had a full slate of representatives since city Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg resigned from her spot in June.

Another de Blasio appointee, Veronica Vanterpool, decamped to Delaware in December — leaving the city with just two voting reps on the Cuomo-dominated board.

In June, Cuomo declined to nominate City Hall climate adviser Dan Zarrilli, de Blasio’s pick to replace Trottenberg. His office said the appointment had not been made in time for the state to conduct a background check.