Public transportation benefit areas (PTBAs) are a type of municipal corporation structure to provide transit service within a county or a multicounty area. PTBAs are authorized to build and operate transit systems within the specified jurisdiction area, and most commonly operate fixed route services with complementary demand response and vanpool services. The boards of PTBAs are comprised of not more than nine elected officials representing cities and counties within the area, and not more than 15 for governing bodies of multicounty areas. PTBAs are also required to have nonvoting members of their governing bodies that must be recommended by labor organizations. The composition of PTBAs governing bodies is reviewed every four years. Among the transit agencies in the state, PTBAs are the most common form of governance, comprising 21 of the 32 transit agencies statewide.

Governing bodies of PTBAs are authorized to increase board size to 11, or 17 for multicounty areas, if they elect to add two voting positions for transit users. Of the two positions, one must primarily rely on public transportation as their transportation mode, and the second must represent an organization that primarily serves individuals that are transit dependent. In the event that an organization that primarily serves transit dependent individuals does not exist within the PTBA jurisdiction, a second member relying primarily on public transportation systems may be appointed. Governing bodies are required to conduct meetings at times and places reasonably accessible by transit. Transit-using members appointed to governing boards must be provided comprehensive training regarding the Open Public Meetings Act and the Public Records Act, as soon as is reasonably practicable.

The ability to appoint new transit-using members to the governing body does not apply to any PTBA that already had citizen positions as part of their governing body prior to the enactment of the Interlocal Cooperation Act.