While we look to the road ahead as a new administration prepares to take office at City Hall, it feels right to take a look back at some of my best memories over the last three years, specifically when it comes to TLC’s efforts to improve the lives of our drivers.
There’s no better place to start than the Medallion Relief Program (MRP in 2021 and MRP+ in 2022). When I was confirmed as Chair in April 2022, operationalizing MRP+, which vastly expanded debt relief for small medallion owners, was my first challenge. Getting lenders aligned and funding it was a dizzying lift, but when it launched that August, watching driver-owners cry with joy as they signed the paperwork and saw hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt vanish was a powerful affirmation of why I chose a career in public service. Since then, the program has helped more than 2,000 owners refinance loans, resulting in a whopping $476 million in debt relief. But those are just numbers. What it really means is that many families can keep their homes, help pay for college for their kids, and put food on the table.
Not long afterwards, I had the privilege of presiding over the Commission vote that raised taximeter rates for the first time in a decade, providing an overdue pay bump for yellow and green taxi drivers. That and other policy efforts have made a difference to an industry that continues to recover from the pandemic. In 2024, taxis completed over 41 million trips and earned $965 million – nearly double 2021’s farebox revenue!
Then there were the fights for our rideshare drivers. Some of you might remember we had to take on Uber in court to enact a minimum pay raise back in 2023. Standing with cheering drivers in our hearing room after we won that battle was equally unforgettable. Then, just over a year later, I stood with many of those same drivers at a protest in Long Island City, after Uber and Lyft instituted unnecessary and harmful lockouts. It took longer than I’d hoped, but we were all cheering again a few months ago, when we implemented historic rule amendments to prevent future lockouts, along with another pay raise.
Another high note came last June, when I joined disability advocates at our Woodside facility to celebrate as our active yellow fleet finally crossed the 50% accessibility mark (it’s now around 55%!). All of us stretching our hands to touch the newly attached medallion that took us across the line was exhilarating.
There have been so many other good times – getting my own TLC license, meeting our first Green Rides driver, chatting with drivers at the Taxi Clubhouse and Van Hailin’ events – more great memories than I can list here.
For those wondering what the future holds, I am incredibly optimistic. Our incoming mayor-elect went on a hunger strike with taxi drivers to win support for MRP+. You can bet he’s going to fight to protect the city’s largest independent workforce from being exploited by big business or paralyzed by future disruptions. Exciting times lie ahead!
Enjoy the holiday season, and I’ll see you out there,
David Do
Commissioner, NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission
