Assemblymembers Patricia A. Fahy and John T.

McDonald III
Representing the Capital Region in the New York State Assembly

For Immediate Release

April 26, 2015

ASSEMBLYMEMBERS MCDONALD AND FAHY TO CO-SPONSOR

BILL TO ALLOW RIDE SHARING IN UPSTATE NEW YORK
ALBANY, N.Y. (April 26, 2015) Assemblymembers John T. McDonald III (D-Cohoes) and Patricia
A. Fahy (D-Albany) announced that they will co-sponsor legislation that would allow ride sharing
companies to operate across New York State, being the first two legislators in the Capital Region to join
onto the bill.
The bill, A.6090, was introduced by Assemblymember Kevin Cahill and co-sponsored by Majority
Leader Joe Morelle and Assemblymember Sean Ryan, allows for transportation network companies
(TNCs) the necessary insurance regulatory fix to allow for UberX and Lyft. In the Senate, Sen. Jim
Seward has sponsored similar legislation (S.4280).
Presently, ride sharing outside of New York City is not allowed due to restrictions in New York State
insurance law. The proposed legislation would update New York State insurance law to allow for these
companies to operate.
Transportation is a key factor in smart growth for the Capital Region and ride sharing or TNCs have
proven success in a growing number of cities across the country. Ride sharing would add to the number
of transportation options we have, while providing flexibility for riders and visitors to the Capital
Region. Companies, such as Uber or Lyft, provide a new dimension in transportation and will support
our regions economic growth, said Fahy.
As our region continues to grow both in regards to business and hospitality with the 2017 arrival of the
Albany Capital Center and Rivers Casino, it is critical that we have the proper infrastructure in place to
welcome visitors to the Capital Region whether it is for business or pleasure. We will work to determine
if a relationship can be built between ridesharing companies and those operators that are interested in
taking their service to the next level as our overall goal is to improve the customer experience said
McDonald.
Fahy and McDonald both serve on the Taxi Issues Committee that was setup by the Albany County
Convention and Visitors Bureau to investigate and evaluate taxi and livery service in the region and to
look into ways to address concerns by customers and localities.
TNCs have proactively addressed safety issues by developing practices and policies that provide
unprecedented transparency for both passengers and drivers. They have worked with insurers to develop
policies that provide a significantly higher level of coverage than is required or typical for-hire-vehicles
in New York. These policies can help set a baseline for consumer protection while competition will
continue to push standards even higher.
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