Uber vs. NYC Councilman Steve Levin
Welcome to the first Brownstoner Controversy: a quick guide to the latest and greatest kerfuffle inside and outside of Brooklyn. Uber’s having a rough week. Not only are their French execs facing charges, but a proposed City Council bill threatens to dramatically limit the number of new cars Uber can add to their NYC fleet. The…
Welcome to the first Brownstoner Controversy: a quick guide to the latest and greatest kerfuffle inside and outside of Brooklyn.
Uber’s having a rough week. Not only are their French execs facing charges, but a proposed City Council bill threatens to dramatically limit the number of new cars Uber can add to their NYC fleet.
The bill is co-sponsored by Steve Levin, Councilman of District 33 in northwest Brooklyn. Levin says that capping Uber’s growth is necessary to prevent congestion and pollution. Uber says that the proposed bill looks ahellava lot like one the taxi industry proposed in March.
Already taking sides? Just wait.
What Uber Wants
To grow. Uber and similar car apps are adding about 2,000 drivers every month in New York City. And growth isn’t slowing on its own.
What Steve Levin Wants
To put a hold on it. Levin thinks it’s already pretty easy to call an Uber. Or get a cab. He doesn’t want to ignore the increase in for-hire cars until after it becomes a problem.
Five Facts
- The bill would be temporary, limiting new licenses over a 12-month period
- Uber NYC currently has upwards of 18,000 cars, more than the number of yellow cabs
- Uber drivers often own their own cars and drive less than 40 hours a week
- Without the bill, Uber NYC could add 25,000 cars over the next year
- With the bill, Uber NYC could only add 180 cars over the next year
What do you think? Cap the number of new cars? Let the market dictate Uber’s growth?
.@NYCCouncil is considering a bill that threatens to destroy 10,000 NYC job opportunities. @deBlasioNYC, oppose ban on new @Uber_NYC cars.
— ashton kutcher (@aplusk) June 30, 2015
Full house: NYC council proposing temporary cap # of vehicles Uber, similar companies can have b/c congestion #NBC4NY pic.twitter.com/np70AZquu0
— Katherine Creag (@katcreag4NY) June 30, 2015
>@StephenLevin33 asks Uber for NYC trip stats. Uber says it gives that data to TLC but “we don’t have that information” for the hearing.
— Stephen Miller (@miller_stephen) June 30, 2015
#Uber protesting outside of city hall today after the Committee on Transportation hearing. #Uber #CityCouncil #NYC pic.twitter.com/hZPy1YfnlQ — NYBCAC (@NYBCAC) June 30, 2015
Yellow cab drivers are protesting #UBER outside of NYC City Hall. pic.twitter.com/3j6AZuDMZq — Tim Pool (@Timcast) June 30, 2015
Uber drivers rally outside City Hall to protest “taxi bail outs” pic.twitter.com/pWHsExNlBh
— WFUV News (@WFUVNews) June 30, 2015
I drove a yellow taxi in the early 70’s. We were employees of the fleet. We received 49% of the meter, the fleet paid for gas and insurance. I received a check every week. The industry “evolved” into a leasing arrangement where the driver became an independent contractor. Exactly what Uber and the existing black car industry does. Yet all this outrage against Uber. Why not the taxi industry?
Uber is not perfect. but they are using technology to create a convenient service that is obviously very popular. The taxi industry, in contrast, having a monopoly, has done no innovations for the customer not mandated by the TLC. The medallion owners had no incentive to improve their service. Now they do, but instead, they are cashing in their contributions to the Mayor.
And while it is good the City is concerned about traffice congestion, what are the traffic impacts of all the bicycle lanes reducing available capacity, many of the bicycle lanes very lightly used? I agree, the “environmentaL’ reasoniing behind this proposed study is b.s..
hi evfred…
pls look at the industry little more carefully. Medallion owners are just owners in paper. They follow 100 % TLC rules. They aren’t allow to use anything TLC disagree to it. TLC also has Cap on Medallion Cabs just to control traffic and pollution in NYC. If it apply to Yellow Cab then it must apply to every industry runs under TLC.
Medallion owner would love to use App as well but according to TLC it isn’t safe. If it isn’t safe for Yellow then how would it be safe for any car.
I strongly believe Uber isn’t helping consumer or driver. They are cheating to their consumer.
If Uber is really great then look what’s happening in France.
http://www.breitbart.com/big-hollywood/2015/07/01/uber-france-executives-arrested-after-taxi-union-trashes-uber-cars/
The TLC doesn’t have a cap on medallions to control for pollution. That is untrue. It is to control price and revenue per cab. There were too many cabs on the road at one time and drivers couldn’t make enough money to support it so they instituted a cap. Here’s the article to help you out: http://www.nytimes.com/1996/05/11/nyregion/medallion-limits-stem-from-the-30-s.html
I believe it’s very important to put a Cap on black car service to control traffic also all black car must have good insurance as Yellow cab. Currently Black car insurance doesn’t cover anything.
We already have a lot of Yellow and Black cars on the road. We just need to come up with better idea to utilize existing cars to provide service.
**** I strongly believe that if government increase the number Yellow cabs on the street that would be a great idea cause Yellow cabs run 24/7 and Yellow cab can provide service to consumer more hrs in a day than a Black car. Black cars are on street only 10-12 hrs/day.
If the Taxi drivers are stupid then why government taking action on the taxi driver. Why government also blaming on Uber.
then do the match….
1 Uber car on the road doing service for 10-12 hrs. In order to complete 24 hrs you need to have 2 drive on the Uber car or 2 Uber car on the Road. If 2 Uber car come then traffic increasing.
1 Yellow with 2 drive on the road 24 hrs. 50% less impact to traffic than Uber.
Uber has a lot big SUV take more space and also big impact to pollution.
Medallion Cabs are most of them Hybrid/Compact. Very few are Crown vic which are little bigger than Hybrid.
Aren’t yellow cab drivers independent contractors as well?
Evfred…don’t let other make fun on you. Please drive a black car for a month and then drive a Yellow on then you can tell which car can stay active on the road for 24/7.
anonlurker…
None of the Black cars are driven by 2 driver so there’s no way Black car can be on the 24/7.
Only Yellow cab always has 2 driver AM/PM.
Looks like you have no idea what you talking about. Please do your research before comment.