Ross Sandler, Center for New York City Law Director

For 80 years Yellow Cabs have been uniquely successful in New York City, that is until Uber, Lyft and the other app-based networks undermined the industry. This is a huge loss. A street-hail cab system that offers prompt transportation in safe, inspected, insured cabs with a meter and fixed fee is a huge public service. This is especially true in the dense business districts and transportation terminals like the airports. App-based services have no advantage at these locations. (read more…)

Image credit: Jeff Hopkins/CityLaw

On a daily basis I am reminded that seemingly everyone loves to talk about taxis. Last year between the Daily News, the Post and Times, there were over 2,000 articles mentioning taxis, which transport about a million people a day – yet only about 3,000 articles mentioning subways which transport six-million people a day. Travelers and New Yorkers are clearly disproportionally obsessed with taxis.

Assuming that what people ask me is representative of what’s on the public’s mind, I figure a good place to start is Uber. What is Uber? Is it an app? A technology company? A car service? A transportation network? Is it legal? Is it a noun or a verb? And what is it doing in New York City?

(read more…)