A bill passed by both the NY State Senate and NY State Assembly to renew a law that added non-voting rider and labor representatives to the MTA board still must be sent to Governor Pataki for his signature. The provision - crafted originally by Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan of Queens - will expire at the end of this year if the bill is not enacted. The legislation provides for six rider and labor representatives - one from each constituency for the MTA board committees for NYC Transit, Metro-North Railroad and the Long Island Railroad. One rider and one labor member from each committee serves on a rotating basis on the full MTA board. These representatives are part of a set of important accountability measures designed to keep the MTA from becoming a black box like the Port Authority. It's commendable that the Legislature has reauthorized the measure. Hopefully, it will be submitted for Governor Pataki's approval in the near future.