Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) Commissioner Midori Valdivia says New York City’s medallion taxi drivers often lack a voice in decisions about the streets they navigate every day.
“I’ve seen drivers come to me and say, ‘Can you do something about the fact that we don’t really have a voice in street design?’” Valdivia told Spectrum News NY1 on Friday.
The commissioner made the remarks as part of her ongoing effort to engage directly with drivers and better understand the challenges they face across the city.
Valdivia said her administration is focused on three key priorities: giving drivers a stronger voice in transportation policy, increasing accountability, and restoring dignity to the profession.
Unlike previous TLC commissioners, Valdivia launched a driver survey and has conducted an extensive listening tour, meeting with drivers almost daily to hear firsthand what matters most to them.
The new TLC chair, who previously worked at the agency and was credited with expanding accessibility throughout the city’s taxi fleet, said drivers are often left out of conversations surrounding changes to city streets.
“What’s happening on the streets? We don’t know,” Valdivia said. “One day it’s the street, and then it looks a little bit different.”
She emphasized that both drivers and passengers should feel confident and comfortable during every trip.
“Both the passenger and the driver have to feel good about their ride,” she said. “That includes anything from pay to, ‘Do I have bathroom access?’ to ‘Did I get charged the right rate?’’
Valdivia noted that changes to street design can particularly impact yellow taxi drivers, who rely heavily on street hails for business.
“We’re talking about 180,000 drivers who contribute to New York’s economy, who raise children here, who love the city and really want to be ambassadors to this city,” she added.
While the TLC has limited authority over rideshare app pricing, Valdivia said the agency can still enforce regulations aimed at ensuring drivers receive sufficient rides and that passengers remain safe.
She also raised concerns about unregulated rideshare operators working outside TLC oversight.
“They’re putting out there kind of a message that maybe they’re good for workers,” Valdivia said. “But at the same time, I know that from an insurance perspective, from a driver-pay perspective, I can’t tell the general public that it is safe.”
Valdivia also highlighted ongoing issues involving unauthorized operators at New York City airports.
“We are having an issue right now around hustling at the airports — people who are licensed, people who frankly don’t follow the rules,” she said. “And there are reports out there about scamming.” The commissioner said the TLC will continue focusing on driver concerns while balancing passenger safety and accountability throughout the city’s for-hire transportation industry.