After proposing a “limited deployment” of driverless taxi services in her “State of The State” address in January, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul backed down from the plan in the face of fierce opposition from disability- and transportation-industry advocates, fellow legislators and potential riders. A survey of over 800 registered New York state residents, conducted by the Siena Research Institute on behalf of The Black Car Fund (BCF), revealed that nearly 60% of upstate residents oppose the use of autonomous vehicles (AVs), citing safety concerns, while only 25% of New York City residents supported AVs in the five boroughs.
Ira Goldstein, the BCF’s executive director, thanked Gov. Hochul for removing the proposal from the state budget “and for listening to the concerns of drivers, small businesses, and communities across New York” – but that is not to say the issue is resolved. It would be naïve to think AVs will not one day be roaming streets in most cities across the country, but many experts say the technology is simply not ready yet. Recent reports from cities where AVs currently operate reinforce that contention.
“We support innovation, but it must be introduced responsibly – with thorough testing and clear oversight from all relevant regulatory agencies,” said David Bastian, legislative chair for the Limousine Bus Taxi Operators of Upstate New York.
Gov. Hochul’s spokesperson Sean Butler acknowledged that “the support was not there to advance this proposal,” but quickly added that it was too soon to say whether she would pursue it again. So, we can chalk this up as a victory… for now, keeping in mind that a lot can happen between now the end of this year’s legislative session in early June. The push and pull between legislators, advocates, lobbyists and billionaire investors creates an uncertain future, which is why I urge everyone to fill out the Independent Drivers Guild’s (IDG’s) petition opposing AVs in NYC.
The petition, which can be found at bit.ly/NoDriverlessCarsPetition. quickly amassed thousands of signatures when it was introduced – but we need tens of thousands of signatures to make a real difference. Everyone who will be adversely affected by the advent of driverless taxis and for-hire vehicles (FHVs) needs to step up and be heard. If people don’t express their concerns NOW, our industry will get steamrolled – again – by Silicon Valley “tech bros,” legislators eager to accept their donations and cash-strapped government agencies looking for new revenue streams.
According to Politico, state records show Waymo has spent at least $1.8 million lobbying Hochul, state senators, assemblymembers and city officials since 2019.
Just days after Gov. Hochul pulled her driverless taxi proposal, Metropolitan Airport News announced that the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) is partnering with three AV companies to test self-driving shuttles at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) this spring. Meanwhile, Sen. Jeremy Cooney (NY), who chairs the Transportation Committee, has carried a bill since 2022, which seeks to legalize fully autonomous vehicles “and create a regulatory framework around their licensing, maintenance and usage.” After hearing about Gov. Hochul’s decision to pull her support of AVs, he said: “I remain committed to working on a standalone bill on autonomous vehicles outside of the budget process.”
Cooney has been dangling the idea of allowing NYC taxi medallion holders to operate the city’s AVs, but that would still leave the vast majority of our industry’s drivers in the dust, and would trigger the collapse of countless businesses – reminiscent of the devastation caused by app-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft rushing to operate on city streets, skirting rules and creating an environment so toxic that drivers committed suicide. The painful disruption is still being felt a decade later.
Thankfully, newly-elected NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani, an ardent, long-time supporter of our industry’s drivers – and arguably the single most important gatekeeper in Waymo’s national expansion – said he is in no rush to allow an untested, potentially dangerous technology on city streets.
“I take the arrival of autonomous vehicles very seriously, and we’ll always make sure that our policy and our decision-making is focused on the drivers, [who] keep our city moving,” he recently stated.
While Mamdani’s support and advocacy can’t stop the inevitable, it can slow things down enough to help prevent – or at least mitigate – catastrophe.
Sam Schwartz, director of the transportation research program at Hunter College, called the governor’s decision “prudent,” and explained in a The New York Times article that, “Unlike some other parts of the country where robotaxis are in use, the New York region has a dizzying volume of couriers, cyclists and one-wheelers – not to mention wildlife – all sharing the road. Extreme weather, like heavy snowfall, could also pose challenges for the technology.”
In an op-ed that ran in amNY, IDG President Brendan Sexton, said: “Silicon Valley is quietly lobbying to turn New York City’s streets into a live experiment for unproven, unaccountable driverless cars. Waymo and other autonomous vehicle companies… promise that driverless cars will be safer, cheaper, and more efficient. But their record elsewhere tells a different story. Across the country, autonomous vehicles have killed and injured pedestrians and cyclists, stalled in the middle of streets, blocked emergency responders, and driven into active police scenes. During a recent power outage in San Francisco, dozens of Waymo robotaxis froze at once, clogging roads at the moment the city needed mobility most.”
“Before taking any further action, the city must demand clear, rigorous answers to several critical concerns,” noted Sara Lind, co-executive director at Open Plans, in an op-ed for The New York Daily News. “Autonomous vehicles… need roads to drive on, curb space and places to be stored. Where will robotaxis go when they’re empty? Will they roam the streets in search of a ride? Will there be sufficient curb space to pick up passengers, or will they illegally double park? In NYC, they could reverse the positive impacts of congestion pricing.”
To further muddy the situation, Uber seems to be playing both sides. In Jan., the company announced a partnership with electric vehicle company Lucid Group and AV developer Nuro to produce at least 20,000 robotaxis for global markets. The company has also partnered with Waymo, May Mobility and Nvidia. In February, Uber announced that it is investing more than $100 million to build AV-dedicated charging hubs, according to Gizmodo, and expects to deploy AV services on its platform in at least 10 cities by the end of the year.
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi claims that, “This is not the kind of a technology that is going to replace [human drivers]; it’s going to augment [them]” – but I’m not so sure I would take that bet.
In the meantime, Waymo’s permission to test in NYC ends March 31. After that, the company needs permission from both city and state officials to extend the testing period. I’m curious to see how the debate heats up as we approach that deadline.
“More than 140,000 New Yorkers make their living as Uber or Lyft drivers, including more than 80,000 in New York City alone,” said Sexton. “The vast majority are immigrants. They are parents raising families, caregivers supporting relatives, and small business operators trying to stay afloat in an expensive city. Their earnings support a broad ecosystem of local businesses, including mechanics, gas stations, car washes, insurance brokers, and restaurants across the five boroughs and beyond. This is not a niche workforce. It is a pillar of New York’s economy.”
Step up. Be heard. Sign the IDG’s petition.
