On September 25, 2005, Metro's Board of Directors established a Riders' Advisory Council. The Council advises the Board on issues affecting Metrobus, Metrorail, and MetroAccess service.

The fifteen-member Council includes three individuals each from Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia, five at-large members, and a representative from Metro's Accessibility Advisory Committee.

Council meetings are open to the public. Members of the public are provided the opportunity and encouraged to address the Council as part of the meeting. There is a public comment period at the beginning of each meeting during which individuals can address any topic. There are also opportunities to provide comments related to specific items on the agenda during the meeting.. Individuals providing comments are asked to limit their comments to two (2) minutes per instance.

Meetings are held the first Wednesday of each month from 6 to 8 p.m. Meetings take place in-person (with a virtual option) once per quarter (January, April, July and October) at Metro's L'Enfant Headquarters, and online-only in other months. Information on how to access the meeting will be posted the day of the meeting. Meeting recordings are available on the MetroForward YouTube channel.