Hello to all! I hope everyone is staying safe and cool as we move through these final weeks of summer. August can be a busy and unpredictable month for drivers, with hot weather, changing traffic patterns, families squeezing in last-minute travel, and the city slowly getting ready for the back-to-school rush. As always, I want to start by recognizing the work you continue to put in every day behind the wheel. Whether you are navigating Midtown traffic, airport pickups, late nights, or long hours in the heat, your work keeps New York moving. There are a few important things to talk about this month, so let’s just jump into it.
First, let’s talk about an important development at our airports. As you know, the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey (PANYNJ), Taxi & Limousine Commission (TLC), and New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) have been vocal about enforcement against illegal airport hustling at JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark. One very effective tool is targeting licensure, and the DMV’s recent proposal to add five points to the driver’s license of anyone convicted of illegal solicitation is big. This matters because illegal hustling is not just a passenger safety issue. It also hurts the professional drivers, bases, and companies that follow the rules, carry the proper insurance, pay the required fees, and operate within New York’s regulated for-hire transportation system. According to the PANYNJ, its “Operation Legal Ride” campaign includes more enforcement personnel, new technology to identify repeat offenders, faster prosecutions, multilingual passenger outreach, and additional consequences for vehicles involved in illegal solicitation.
The Port Authority has also reported that since 2025, more than 3,700 hustling summonses were issued at JFK alone, with the 50 most active hustlers responsible for nearly 22% of those summonses. That tells us this is not just a few isolated incidents. This is a repeat-offender problem, and stronger consequences are needed. I strongly support efforts to make illegal hustling a more serious offense, including the proposed five-point penalty, and I am joining other stakeholders in submitting a support memo to the DMV for this proposal.
For too long, many repeat offenders have treated fines as simply a cost of doing business. That is unacceptable. Drivers and bases that play by the rules should not have to compete with illegal operators who take advantage of passengers, damage the reputation of the industry, and avoid the obligations that legitimate for-hire transportation providers meet every day.
Moving onto autonomous vehicles (AVs)… They have been in the news lately, but once again not for a good reason. So, let’s talk about some of the real-world safety questions that still need to be answered before driverless for-hire service is allowed to exist in a city like New York. Recent incidents around the country show why this issue cannot be looked at only in theory. In San Francisco, AVs reportedly became immobilized during Fourth of July traffic after a major fireworks event, blocking streets, trapping buses, and requiring some vehicles to be towed. Federal officials have also raised concerns about driverless vehicles interfering with first responders, including vehicles entering active emergency scenes, blocking ambulances, and failing to properly respond to flashing lights, traffic cones, flares, smoke, and fire. There have also been troubling reports involving automated vehicles passing stopped school buses with active stop arms. These are not rare situations or edge cases for black car drivers. They are part of everyday driving, especially in crowded cities where you always have to expect the unexpected.
Talking about safety, a recent report from Open Plans also raises an important point about how these vehicles should be judged. Many safety claims from AV companies simply compare AV safety records to the average driver. If robotaxis are going to compete in the FHV industry, they should be compared to FHV drivers who operate in this environment every day and are already part of a regulated system. The report also warns that robotaxis could increase vehicle miles traveled and add to congestion, especially if empty vehicles are circulating, repositioning, or taking trips that might otherwise have been made by transit, walking or biking.
That is why public officials need to ask the right questions before allowing this technology to expand. FHV drivers know that driving in New York is about more than following a route. It requires judgment, patience, local knowledge, and the ability to safely respond to pedestrians, passengers, emergency responders, school buses, construction, traffic, weather, and everything else our streets throw at you. AVs are far from being able to achieve that.
As I wrap up, I want to remind everyone that our next Steering Towards Success Resource Fair will take place on Monday, August 17th at The Black Car Fund Driver Education Center in Long Island City. This will be our fourth Resource Fair of 2026, and it will be another great opportunity for drivers to meet directly with BCF staff, learn more about The Black Car Fund and Drivers Benefits, connect with our community partners, and access no-cost health screenings, including cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar, and preventative
screenings for prostate and colorectal cancers. We’ll also have raffles featuring dash cameras, gift cards, BCF merchandise, and more, along with BCF swag bags for the first 20 drivers to check in for each session.
As usual, the fair will be held in two sessions to keep things comfortable and easy for everyone. The morning session will run from 10:00am to 12:00pm, and the afternoon session will run from 1:00pm to 3:00pm. Both sessions will include the same health screenings, resources, giveaways, and raffle opportunities, so you can choose whichever time works best for your schedule. There is no set program, but we do encourage you to arrive early so you can take advantage of everything being offered. Click here or head over to https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/August2026RFSM to RSVP and secure your spot.
Advance registration is strongly encouraged, because while we will do our best to accommodate walk-ins, entry will be based on available capacity.
Until next time!
Ira J. Goldstein is the Executive Director of theNew York Black Car Fund
and Advisor to the Black Car Assistance Corp. (BCAC).
