Hello and Happy New Year to all! I hope everyone enjoyed the holiday season and are excited to kick off a new year. Before I jump into some updates and news, I wanted to remind you all that flu season is in full swing. In fact, cases started rising in 2025 earlier than expected, and levels are currently very high. Through Drivers Benefits, you can get a voucher for a free flu shot, and I would encourage everyone to take advantage of this benefit, which is available until April 15th.
Let’s kick this off with some news from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ). As you know, last month I wrote about the PANYNJ’s proposal to double the airport access fees for for-hire vehicles (FHVs). In March 2026, the airport access fee would have increased from $2.50 to $5 for pick-ups and drop offs.
As a direct result of the advocacy of the The Black Car Fund, The Black Car Assistance Corporation, and numerous other trade and business associations, the PANYNJ updated this proposal so that the increases FHVs face will be phased in over three years, rather than all at once. Under the plan that was approved in December, the Airport Access Fee for pick-ups and drop-offs will increase to $3.50 on March 15, 2026. It will then increase to $4.50 on March 15, 2027, and finally $5 on March 15, 2028.
When the PANYNJ made their initial proposal, the strong impression was that this was a done deal. One of our major arguments was that it was unfair for yellows – who already pay much less than FHVs – to receive a phased increase while FHVs get it all at once. It is a refreshing turn of events for the PANYNJ to acknowledge this and make the change, and it shows the importance of advocacy.
In other PANYNJ news, you may have already heard, but as of December 30th, the passenger pick up changes for JFK Airport’s Terminal 4, were terminated. Since then, pick-ups at Terminal 4 have gone back to how they were before these changes were implemented in the Spring. You should be aware that the pick-up changes for FHVs at Terminals 5 and 7 are still in effect, and there is no timeline yet for when they will end.
There are also some pretty big roadway changes beginning early this year which will affect how you plan your route to JFK. I would advise you to read through this presentation provided by JFK Airport: https://files.constantcontact.com/f6e7cd74801/e98e4b01-759f-40e0-abfd-19905d85064b.pdf.
Moving on, Waymo has been in the news lately and not in a positive way. Some of you may have heard that Waymo had to temporarily halt their operations in San Francisco after a major power outage knocked out traffic signals in parts of the city, causing dozens of Waymo autonomous vehicles (AVs) to stall at intersections and along streets. This made a tough situation even harder, as stalled Waymo AVs blocked active traffic lanes and impeded the movement of fire trucks and ambulances during a citywide crisis.
The Black Car Fund is joining the Black Car Assistance Corporation, Livery Base Owners Inc., and The Livery Round Table, Inc. in calling on the new Mayor, Zohran Mamdani, to take action. In the letter we have penned to Mayor Mamdani and the current leadership at the Department of Transportation (DOT), we point to the DOT’s own rules, which would allow it to revoke a permit if an applicant has a “demonstrated unsafe record in the city of New York or any other city where it has demonstrated or tested.”
We believe this catastrophe in San Francisco is exactly the type of unsafe record that this clause was designed to protect us from. Traffic lights being out is not uncommon in New York City, and the city cannot afford to risk having AVs obstruct emergency services and fail to follow basic traffic laws when faced with this basic obstacle.
Testing this software on the streets of Manhattan is an unacceptable risk. If a similar event were to happen here, blocking a crosstown artery or the entrance to the Holland Tunnel during rush hour, the resulting gridlock would not just be an inconvenience; it would be a public safety emergency.
Therefore, we called on Mayor Mamdani and the DOT to exercise its authority to immediately suspend Waymo’s testing permit, conduct a formal review of Waymo’s “fail-safe” protocols, and deny any future applications for driverless deployment until the company can prove, with independent verification, that their vehicles can safely navigate infrastructure failures without paralyzing the city’s streets.
In other City news, the New York City Council recently passed Int-1000, which directs the DOT to set up a pilot program that will allow for-hire vehicles to park in commercial parking spots. Under the new program, the DOT will identify commercial metered parking areas where FHVs can park for up to 30 minutes, four times per day. The goal for this program is to reduce double-parking and congestion, but for drivers the main benefit will be greater and more convenient access to bathroom breaks. The pilot program will run for one year, can be extended, and also requires the DOT to report on what the pilot shows about curb use and traffic impacts. I am happy to say that The Black Car Fund and other associations advocated for this essential bill.
As I wrap up, I’m excited to announce that another new benefit is joining the ranks in our Drivers Benefits Program. I would like to introduce you to our Health Navigation Service. With this benefit, drivers who are enrolled in our Drivers Benefits program can access this unique benefit that gives you support for getting and using your health coverage, understanding your health with an initial health assessment, and receiving ongoing, personalized care. This benefit will be officially launching later this month, so keep your eyes peeled for more information and make sure that you are enrolled in our Drivers Benefits Program!
Until next time!
