This is Part 2 of a two-part series covering the City Council’s public hearing on March 12th, 2026, related to Midori Valdivia’s nomination to lead the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC).
Valdivia was nominated by Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and a Council vote is expected on Thursday, March 26th. If approved, she would serve a term expiring in January 2031.
Part 1 covered Valdivia’s testimony and Q&A with Council Members.
Part 2 (below) focuses on public testimony, where drivers, advocates, and industry stakeholders detailed the challenges facing the industry and outlined their hopes, expectations, and support for the TLC Chair nominee.
Public testimony and written submissions showed widespread support for Valdivia’s nomination, including letters from organizations such as the Bronx Chamber of Commerce, Coro New York Leadership Center, Community Service Society, Hispanic Federation, Riders Alliance, Regional Plan Association, Shared-Use Mobility Center, Worker’s Justice Project, and Women’s Transportation Seminar.
A Consistent Theme: Rising Costs
During public testimony, many drivers returned to the same core issue: the cost of working in the industry is rising faster than earnings.
Insurance emerged as the most frequently cited pressure point. Bhairavi Desai, Executive Director of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance (NYTWA) described sharp increases in monthly premiums:
“Drivers are going from paying $400 a month to… as much as $1,000 a month.”
She also argued that the spike is tied in part to instability in the TLC insurance market, including the financial struggles of American Transit, and questioned why drivers are being forced to absorb those costs:
“Why are drivers the ones to pay these costs?”
Another driver provided a detailed, multi-year breakdown of his own insurance premiums for a Toyota Sienna—covering liability only, not including collision or comprehensive coverage:
~$3,984 in 2023
~$4,273 in 2024
~$5,459 in 2025
+37% increase since 2023
Drivers emphasized that these increases are layered on top of other operating expenses, including gas, maintenance, vehicle financing, and TLC-related fees.
“Everything is going up… and the money that we’re earning is not enough.”
Several speakers described working extended hours to compensate:
“Six to seven days a week, 12 to 14 hours a day.”
Across testimony, the issue was framed not as short-term pressure but as a structural problem, with speakers pointing to long-term economic instability and what Desai described as a “cycle of generational poverty.”
FHV Rental Market Concerns
Another specific issue raised during public testimony was the for-hire vehicle (FHV) rental market, particularly the lack of regulation compared to the yellow taxi medallion system.
Veronica Martinez, a NYTWA member, described a system in which drivers operate under highly restrictive and, at times, unsafe rental or leasing conditions. She said drivers like herself:
Face high rental fees
Are required to use company-controlled repair shops
Can have their vehicles remotely disabled through starter interrupt systems
She described incidents where vehicles were shut off without warning, including during active trips, raising both safety and labor concerns.
“TLC has neglected us and thrown us to the wolves.”
She called for the TLC to regulate the FHV rental market in a manner similar to the yellow cab sector, including caps on lease rates and stronger consumer and worker protections.
Medallion Debt and Incomplete Relief
Several speakers focused on the Medallion Relief Program (MRP+), which has provided more than $450 million in debt relief but remains incomplete.
Allison Langley of NYTWA noted that while over 2,000 drivers have received relief, roughly 200 to 300 drivers remain outside the program:
“Hundreds of drivers remain in a situation where the debt crisis never ended.”
Drivers who were excluded from the program described continued financial strain from legacy loans and mounting monthly payments.
One owner-driver, Adriano [Aversano], said he was among those left behind and warned that the financial pressure is becoming unsustainable:
“I don’t know how long I could hold on anymore with the mounting bills… and the mounting insurance payments and everything.”
There were repeated calls for the city to reopen or complete the medallion debt relief program, extend relief to those left out, and work with lenders to ensure all owner-drivers have access to loan restructuring.
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Disability Advocates: Accessibility, Funding, and Service Gaps
Disability advocates broadly expressed support for Valdivia’s nomination while outlining a set of specific policy priorities focused on accessibility, service reliability, and funding.
A central concern was the recent loss of the Accessible Dispatch program, which allowed riders to request wheelchair accessible taxis by phone. Advocates emphasized that the program was especially critical for riders who cannot rely on app-based services.
Joe Rappaport of the Brooklyn Center for Independence of the Disabled (BCID) highlighted that without a phone-based dispatch option, many disabled New Yorkers face new barriers to accessing service:
“That program worked…but the TLC claiming that it costs too much…we are very hopeful that the new Chair will reestablish it.”
Others also pointed to broader service gaps, including inconsistent response times and limited availability of wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAVs), particularly outside core areas.
At the state level, Justin Wood of New York Lawyers for the Public Interest described (NYLPI) a proposed funding mechanism to support accessibility and electrification in the TLC fleet: a surcharge on trips that could generate more than $250 million annually.
That funding, he noted, could be used to expand WAV availability via purchase subsidies—including electric WAVs—and support driver earnings.
Drivers also weighed in on the economics of accessibility. Wain Chin of NYTWA, a WAV driver, called for the reinstatement of the $1 per-trip subsidy for WAV trips, which previously helped offset the higher operating costs associated with operating an accessible vehicles.
He and others also pointed to rising upfront costs for WAV vehicles, suggesting that additional measures—such as sales tax relief or exemptions on vehicle purchases—could help make accessibility mandates more financially viable.
At the same time, testimony reflected some tension between accessibility goals and affordability concerns. One driver, Adriano [Aversano], cautioned that mandating a fully accessible fleet without sufficient financial support could place significant strain on drivers, noting that WAVs cost much more as standard vehicles.
Underlying many of these concerns was the loss or scaling back of prior support programs: initiatives such as the Accessible Dispatch system and WAV trip subsidies have been reduced or eliminated due to funding constraints at the Taxi Improvement Fund (TIF), advocates and drivers pointed to the need for sustainable, long-term funding mechanisms to support accessibility without shifting the burden onto drivers.
Industry Structure: Oversupply and Platform Dynamics
Key issues raised during public testimony included:
Oversupply of for-hire vehicles (FHVs)
Reduced trips per driver
Downward pressure on earnings
Zubin Soleimany, a staff attorney at the New York Taxi Workers Alliance (NYTWA), pointed to specific policy decisions by the previous TLC Chair that he said contributed to marketplace imbalance. He argued that the Taxi and Limousine Commission failed to adequately enforce the vehicle cap and allowed a significant increase in vehicles through regulatory changes tied to electric vehicle (EV) adoption.
According to Soleimany, the release of roughly 10,000 additional TLC plates in recent years “undid years of progress” in stabilizing the market, resulting in more vehicles competing for a relatively fixed number of trips.
The result, he said, has been fewer trips per driver and declining earnings across the industry.
Enforcement, Fees, and Multi-Agency Pressure
Drivers also described being impacted by multiple layers of enforcement and cost, including:
TLC rules and penalties
NYPD enforcement
DOT regulations
Rising insurance costs
One driver summarized the cumulative effect:
“Our income is being attacked from every corner.”
Speakers described a system in which overlapping regulatory and cost pressures—across agencies and markets—compound financial strain on drivers already facing declining earnings.
Support for Valdivia Across Stakeholders
Public testimony was broadly supportive of Midori Valdivia’s nomination to be the next NYC TLC Chair.
Support during the public hearing came from:
Individual TLC-licensed drivers (yellow taxi, Uber/Lyft, medallion owners)
The New York Taxi Workers Alliance (NYTWA)
Disability advocates
Other prominent industry stakeholders
Drivers emphasized her willingness to engage directly with workers:
“For the first time… I’ve seen a nominated [TLC Chair] approach drivers… and [seek] to know our concerns.”
Ira Goldstein, Executive Director of the Black Car Fund (BCF), testified in support, pointing to Valdivia’s experience and approach:
“I have known Midori since her days as a deputy commissioner at the TLC, and what stood out to me is that she listened. She understood, as I learned during my almost 10 years as chief of staff at the TLC that good policy is strengthened when agency leadership is open to input from the stakeholders who live with the consequences of those decisions every day.”
He also cited her role in shaping congestion pricing policy as an example of balancing competing interests across the transportation system.
Matt Daus, a former NYC TLC Chair, also supported the nomination, highlighting her cross-agency experience and her ability to operate within a broader, integrated transportation ecosystem.
“She has all the skillsets needed… her depth of experience is unlike any chair, including myself… she has probably the most multimodal experience, which is really important.”
Closing Perspective
The public testimony portion of the hearing reflected a high degree of alignment across speakers:
Strong support for Valdivia’s nomination
Clear expectations for action on driver economics
A focus on structural cost pressures and regulatory gaps
The most consistent message from drivers, advocates, and other industry stakeholders was that current conditions are not sustainable—and that the next TLC Chair will need to address both immediate cost pressures and longer-term industry structure.
Also available on YouTube ⬇️
TABLE OF CONTENTS
00:00 Highlighted testimony: Bhairavi Desai (Executive Director of New York Taxi Workers Alliance (NYTWA))
02:48 Justin Wood (NY Lawyers for the Public Interest) – Accessibility & funding
06:08 Veronica Martinez (NYTWA) – FHV leasing issues
09:01 Carmen Cruz (NYTWA) – Rising costs, long hours
15:55 Michael Simon (Medallion Owner) – Medallion system & driver income
18:54 Richard Chow (NYTWA) – Gas prices, loans, earnings
21:58 Luis Taveras (NYTWA) – Insurance cost breakdown
26:53 Wain Chen (NYTWA, Medallion Owner) – Medallion debt restructuring + WAV costs
29:49 Bhairavi Desai (NYTWA) – Industry-wide driver crisis
32:32 Joe Rappaport (Brooklyn Center for Independence (BCID)) – Accessible Dispatch
35:17 Adriano [Aversano] (Medallion Owner-Driver, NYTWA) – Medallion debt restructuring + WAV costs
37:40 Jean Ryan (Disabled in Action (DIA)) – Accessibility gaps
40:05 Allison Langley (NYTWA attorney) – Medallion Relief Program (MRP)
42:43 Augustine Tang (Medallion Owner-Driver) – Fleet size, wages, MRP
45:37 Ira Goldstein (Executive Director of Black Car Fund (BCF)) – Industry perspective
48:25 Kuber Sancho-Persad (NYTWA, Medallion Owner) – Multi-agency pressure
50:26 Lamin Jatta (NYTWA, Uber driver) – Operating costs & fines
52:21 Mouhamadou Aliyu (NYTWA, Medallion Owner) – Declining income
55:05 Joshua Sear (Founder & CEO of Empower) – Alternative driver model
58:30 Zubin Soleimany (NYTWA attorney) – Vehicle cap & oversupply
01:01:00 Christopher Leon Johnson (TLC Driver) – Platform regulation
01:02:53 Matt Daus (Former NYC TLC Chair) – Industry leadership perspective
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