Hello to all! It’s hard to believe that another year is in the books. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving with friends, family and loved ones. We are now fully into the holiday season as we approach the New Year. This is always a busy time of year and there are some updates I’d like to give this month so let’s jump right in.
Last month, you’ll recall I wrote about the TLC’s decision to remove the FHV license cap on electric vehicles (EVs). This decision followed the passage of their Green Rides Initiative, which will require all high-volume FHV rides to be done in a zero-emissions vehicle by 2030.
Last month I also wrote that there are valid concerns about whether the city’s EV infrastructure can keep up with the growth this rule change may cause, as well as concerns about congestion. Shortly after writing last month’s article, we learned that the New York Taxi Workers Alliance (NYTWA) had filed suit against the TLC. Only days after it was filed, a NY Supreme Court Judge issued a temporary restraining order (TRO), effectively halting the TLC’s decision to resume issuing FHV licenses for EVs.
The TRO allowed any license requests that had already been submitted to proceed, as well as creating a cutoff date of November 13 for additional applications to be submitted. Before the TRO was issued, the TLC had been receiving about 100 applications per day, mostly from existing drivers. The NYTWA argued in their lawsuit that there would be considerable impacts on the yellow market from a flood of new vehicles, as well as claiming the TLC had provided no analysis, modeling or other material reflecting what the impact would be.
Unsurprisingly, the announcement of the TRO created a mad dash among drivers to apply for an EV FHV license before the TRO went into effect. This week, Crain’s New York reported that by the time the TRO went into effect, the TLC received nearly 9,700 applications. Before the announcement, the TLC had received roughly 1,750 applications, since they became available on October 18. This means that in the five days between the TRO’s announcement and it going into effect, the number of EV FHV applications had more than quintupled.
It remains to be seen how the lawsuit plays out. Even if the TLC is given the green light to go ahead, that doesn’t change the enormous amount of criticism they have been facing. Two City Council Members even came out and called on the Mayor and TLC to reconsider this decision. One of those Council Members is Selvena Brooks-Powers, the Chair of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. We will continue to monitor the progress on this issue and keep you updated!
On the issue of congestion pricing, there isn’t a big update from what I wrote about last month. In the weeks since the Traffic Mobility Review Board (TMRB) held their third meeting, we have heard that the board is still weighing their recommendations on how much to charge trucks and the fee structure for taxis and FHVs. Some of the TMRB members are pushing to give taxis an edge on the new tolls over Uber and Lyft drivers.
Ultimately, it’s refreshing to see that our advocacy efforts have been effective, specifically when it comes to the decision to move towards a passenger paid per-trip fee, rather than a once-a-day fee, which would have fallen on drivers. It is still unclear whether the TMRB plans on holding a fourth public meeting before issuing their recommendations, but either way we are expecting the recommendations to be issued in January 2024.
Let’s move on to another topic: autonomous, driverless vehicles. Some of you may have heard that just months after granting it, the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) suspended Cruise’s deployment and driverless vehicle permits, putting a sudden halt on the GM self-driving car subsidiary’s operations in San Francisco. The California DMV said the decision to suspend the permits was made after the agency determined the vehicles were not safe for the public’s operation and that Cruise misrepresented information related to the autonomous technology in its vehicles.
Waymo however, another autonomous vehicle company backed by Google, is still operating in San Francisco and other cities around the country. Now, their sights are becoming set on New York. It was reported that Waymo has increased its lobbying efforts in New York, ahead of the upcoming legislative session that will determine the future of autonomous vehicles in the state.
There currently is pending legislation in the New York State Senate that would allow driverless vehicles to operate in New York without human drivers. While there are of course safety concerns, there are also serious concerns from organized labor who are looking at the potential job loss and impact that this decision could have.
As Waymo and their lobbyists continue ramping up their efforts in Albany, we are sure to see a battle form. This will certainly be an issue that we will be monitoring closely in the coming year.
As I wrap up, I’d like to take this opportunity to once again let you know about our newest Earn While You Learn Opportunity, The Black Car Fund Driver Education Course. As you may know, the course is now available online and we have recently increased the payments for completing the course to $125 for completing it online, and $250 for completing it in person! Once every three years, you can choose one of these options. If you haven’t already, please visit https://drivered.nybcf.org/ to sign up for the course!
I wish you all the very best during this holiday season and a very Happy New Year! Talk to you next year!
