Welcome back to Commissioner’s Corner – and to a new era at the Taxi & Limousine Commission.
I’m honored to introduce myself as the new Chair of the TLC. I previously served here as Deputy Commissioner of Finance and Administration, and have also worked at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
I am deeply grateful to Mayor Mamdani and the City Council for the trust they’ve placed in me. Like more than 90% of TLC drivers, I’m an immigrant. I am Peruvian, and my family lived in Japan before settling in the United States. I’ve spent much of my life studying transportation systems, and one belief has guided me throughout: transportation is opportunity.
Every day, nearly a million passengers rely on TLC drivers to get to work, to the airport, and to the appointments that shape and enhance their lives. For New Yorkers with disabilities, TLC service can be life-changing – providing access to opportunities many take for granted.
Those opportunities exist because our drivers show up each day seeking something fundamental: a fair chance to earn a decent, dignified living and support their families.
For too long, that opportunity has been slipping away. As Mayor Mamdani recently said, TLC drivers “have been sold a dream of being able to work their way to the middle class, only to have the rug pulled out from under them.”
This administration is committed to changing that. Supporting and protecting drivers will be a top priority. When we invest in the people who power our transportation system, we make that system safer, stronger, and more reliable for everyone – passengers, drivers, and pedestrians alike.
We will begin by listening to the people who keep NYC moving every day: our drivers. We have also launched a first-of-its-kind driver survey, available in 12 languages at nyc.gov/TLCdriversurvey. I want to hear from our drivers.
Your feedback will help shape an agenda focused on economic fairness, dignity for drivers and passengers, corporate accountability, and a more integrated transportation system – one that ensures every New Yorker can access TLC services, regardless of ability or zip code.
I look forward to sharing updates, goals, and ideas each month. In the meantime, you can always reach me and the TLC online at https://www.nyc.gov/site/tlc/about/email-the-commissioner.page.
I have spent my first weeks as Commissioner at the airports, TLC offices, and Van Hailin’ listening and more deeply learning about your lives, working conditions, and families. I want to thank you for your hard work and dedication – and let you know this is only the beginning.
Midori Valdivia
Commissioner and Chair
Taxi & Limousine Commission
