We’ve just crossed the halfway mark in 2017’s so-called Summer of Hell, so what better time to revive our sporadic Politicians on Transit series?

With all of the recent attention on the subways, many of New York’s elected leaders have been swiping their MetroCards more frequently as of late. This week, for example, elected officials are riding the subway and talking with straphangers as part of a two-day #RidersRespond tour. New York City Council Transportation Committee Chair Ydanis Rodriguez and Assembly Member Jeff Dinowitz, who chairs the Assembly Corporations Committee (which has oversight of the MTA) are leading the effort.

Rodriguez (left) and Dinowitz (right) were joined by a number of local and state leaders. Here they are near City Hall with Comptroller Scott Stringer:

We've made it to City Hall!! #RidersRespond is still going strong pic.twitter.com/mqoJUTTRo6

— Jeffrey Dinowitz (@JeffreyDinowitz) August 3, 2017

And in East Harlem with City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito:

We've just been joined by City Council Speaker @MMViverito. Support for our campaign has been overwhelming so far! pic.twitter.com/OY72TYYq3x

— Jeffrey Dinowitz (@JeffreyDinowitz) August 3, 2017

State Assembly Member Yuh-Line Niou joined the group on the Lower East Side:

Accessibility and having MTA booth and workers at our East Broadway stop is crucial for safety of our community. #ridersrespond pic.twitter.com/qbkVgtH1ie

— Yuh-Line Niou (@yuhline) August 3, 2017

And State Senator Marisol Alcantara and Assembly Member Carmen de la Rosa joined the group in Washington Heights:

At first ever "Riders Respond" tour- talking to subway riders with councilmember @ydanis Rodriguez! @MTA @CnDelarosa @RidersNY pic.twitter.com/JNjHR03NCt

— Marisol Alcantara (@MAlcantara_24) August 3, 2017

Joining @ydanis @JeffreyDinowitz as we survey commuters on the A/ 1 line at 168th Street! @nyphospital pic.twitter.com/sYTuYG7Nvv

— Carmen De La Rosa (@CnDelarosa) August 3, 2017

City Council Member Margaret Chin called attention to accessibility issues in subway stations:

Seniors & disabled deal with multiple flights of stairs. That's why I pushed to include E Bwy in #ridersrespond tour. We need fixes now. pic.twitter.com/XCg3goQao5

— Margaret S. Chin (@CM_MargaretChin) August 3, 2017

Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and New York City Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg also joined the tour:

On the way to East Broadway, joined by @galeabrewer #RidersRespond pic.twitter.com/3iHcXOifsg

— Ydanis Rodriguez (@ydanis) August 3, 2017

Glad to be joined by @NYC_DOT Commissioner and MTA board member Polly Trottenberg as we check out the Chambers St J platform #ridersrespond pic.twitter.com/P40mxLG8b8

— Ydanis Rodriguez (@ydanis) August 3, 2017

Last month, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio — who has taken some heat for not riding transit often enough — invited the media to join him on the F train where he called on Governor Andrew Cuomo to fix the subway.

.@NYCmayor rode the F train today to tell riders Cuomo is trying to avoid responsibility for the MTA’s subway crisis https://t.co/F08AVFyb4U pic.twitter.com/lP4ZOZ4h2W

— amNewYork (@amNewYork) July 23, 2017

The governor hasn’t been spotted on the subway since January, but he has been spotted near transit. Here he is at Penn Station’s new West End Concourse explaining why the Summer of Hell isn’t really so bad for commuters:

On LI, Cuomo declares it has not been the “summer of hell” because of remediation by MTA, more buses, improved routes at Penn Station, etc. pic.twitter.com/9hNWhWamiH

— Joseph Spector (@JoeSpectorNY) August 2, 2017

And here he is sharing more good news near Long Island’s busiest transit station:

Cuomo announces $10 million grant for revitalization around Hicksville LIRR station. pic.twitter.com/sjZeByj1oj

— David Olson (@DavidOlson11) August 2, 2017

And because bike share really ought to be considered part of the transit system, here are some city officials biking to a press event on Monday where the Department of Transportation announced a plan to expand the city’s bike network:

City officials are just like you: citibiking toward a gaggle of reporters in business casual pic.twitter.com/CGYftznff8

— Emma Whitford (@emma_a_whitford) July 31, 2017

If you’re wondering why we haven’t included any photos of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie riding New Jersey Transit — the repair project at Penn Station impacts Garden State commuters, too — it’s because we still can’t find any. He has, however, made some public comments about the Summer of Hell, but mostly to say he wants to “smack” Governor Cuomo for coining the phrase.