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Greetings from everyone at the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission.
FOR-HIRE VEHICLE LICENSES
On September 18, 2020, the TLC issued its biannual review of factors to determine whether the issuance of additional For-Hire Vehicle (FHV) licenses are needed to serve the riding public. Those factors culminate in a conclusion that additional FHV car licenses will not be issued over the next six months. The Report is available here. TLC will conduct its next review in February 2021.
VISION ZERO
Daylight Saving Time ends on Sunday, November 1, 2020 and NYC will “fall back” one hour and return to Standard Time. The darker months that accompany the Fall and Winter seasons bring increased risks to pedestrians and cyclists. Please remain vigilant and account for lower visibility as you perform your work duties between dusk and dawn.
BELOW, PLEASE FIND TIPS FOR STAYING SAFE ON THE ROAD:
• As nighttime falls, vision drops tenfold. As a result, Drivers can fail to see pedestrians until they are dangerously close. Please slow down at dusk and look closely for pedestrians and cyclists sharing or crossing the street. • Speeding is a major cause of traffic deaths. Even what might seem like a small difference in speed has a big impact on safety. A pedestrian struck at 30 mph is twice as likely to die than if struck at 25 mph. Expect increased enforcement of speeding and failure to yield during evening hours. Please obey speed limits and traffic signals. • Left turns are three times as dangerous as right turns. One in four pedestrian deaths or injuries involves turning vehicles. Please take all turns at 5 mph. Slower speeds save lives. • As professional Drivers, the City relies on you to set the example and make every effort to keep yourselves, your passengers, and our streets safe.
COVID-19
Towards the end of September, six zip codes in Brooklyn and two zip codes in Queens were seeing increases in new COVID-19 diagnoses, including in Bensonhurst, Gravesend, Midwood, Far Rockaway, Kew Gardens, Borough Park, Sheepshead Bay, and Midwood. To help the City stop the spread of COVID 19, please continue to get tested monthly (find information for over 100 testing sites at nyc.gov/COVIDtest), wear face coverings that cover your nose and mouth when a passenger is in the car and ask riders to sit in the back to create physical distance. Both passengers and Drivers must wear face coverings to protect their health.
Please also continue to routinely clean your vehicles. Disinfectants are most effective on clean surfaces. Remove any dirt or grime that you can see first, then use a disinfectant product like Clorox, peroxide, or an alcohol-based multi-purpose cleaner, particularly on surfaces and objects that are touched often. You can find more information on keeping your vehicle clean and other resources on the TLC website here: https://www1.nyc.gov/site/tlc/drivers/coronavirus-information.page.
OPEN RESTAURANTS AND STREETS
New York City has expanded its Open Restaurants program year-round, in connection with the Open Streets program. Currently, 85 car-free streets provide expanded space to restaurants citywide. As TLC Drivers take patrons home and to dining establishments, we encourage Drivers to use the nearest adjacent street for pick-up and drop-off.
Sincerely,
Aloysee Heredia Jarmoszuk
Commissioner and Chair
NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission
33 Beaver Street, 22ndFloor, New York, NY 10004