New York State's Senate last week did not confirm four of five appointees by Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board.
Barring a special session, the appointees must wait until January for confirmation.
The Senate approved Cuomo's nomination of Lawrence Schwartz, a former top aide of the governor in Albany.
On hold are de Blasio appointees Ydanis Rodriguez, a City Council member from northern Manhattan; Veronica Vanterpool, executive director of the Tri-State Transportation Campaign; and David Jones, president of the Community Service Society.
Also waiting is Cuomo nominee Peter Ward, president of the New York Hotel and Motel Trades Council, for the board.
Allen Cappelli, whose seat Ward would have taken, will serve indefinitely on an expired term. At last week's board meeting, Cappelli gave what he thought would be a farewell speech, thanking his colleagues and warning about the MTA's high debt levels.
The authority, which operates the subway system, commuter rail lines and tolls and bridges in metropolitan region, is one of the largest municipal issues with about $35.6 billion of debt.
