Mayoral Nominee Midori Valdivia Confirmed as New TLC Commissioner & Chair

Ms. Valdivia will lead the agency where she previously served, bringing extensive transportation experience and a commitment to improving conditions for drivers

NEW YORK, NY—New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani’s nominee to head the Taxi & Limousine Commission was confirmed by the City Council today, bringing a new era to the 55-year-old agency charged with regulating the city’s taxi and for-hire vehicle industries.

“With Midori Valdivia as Chair of the Taxi and Limousine Commission, the workers who keep our city moving will have a partner and a proven fighter," said Mayor Mamdani. “True economic justice is possible with a city government that treats every taxicab driver with the dignity they deserve.”

"Midori Valdivia's confirmation as TLC Commissioner is a victory for the 180,000 drivers who power this city's economy and riders who rely on New York City's taxicabs and for-hire vehicles," said Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice Julie Su. "Her deep knowledge of the industry and her commitment to driver protection make her exactly the right leader to deliver on Mayor Mamdani's promise of economic justice for working New Yorkers."

“This is a tremendous honor and opportunity, and I’m deeply thankful to the Mayor and the City Council,” said Ms. Valdivia. “I look forward to leading a TLC that proactively protects its drivers, improves safety and accessibility for passengers, and works in harmony with the larger transportation ecosystem to ensure that the mobility needs of all our communities are equitably met.”

Ms. Valdivia is a nationally recognized transportation professional, bringing both lived and professional experience with urban transportation systems. Born to Peruvian parents, she lived in Osaka, Japan, with her family as a young child and later settled in Pittsburgh, PA, where she began her career in the Coro Fellowship for Public Affairs. Following her fellowship and graduate studies, she joined the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, serving for over six years and rising to become Senior Advisor to the Executive Director.  There, she worked on a range of major regional infrastructure projects, from the LaGuardia Redevelopment to supporting the first wage standards for airport service workers. She then moved on to work at the agency she will now lead, serving as TLC’s Deputy Commissioner of Finance and Administration under former Commissioner Meera Joshi.

During her initial stint at TLC, Ms. Valdivia played a vital role in increasing the number of wheelchair accessible vehicles in TLC’s fleet, supported the agency’s first driver-pay study, and engaged with federal regulators to tamp down on predatory loans for small medallion holders.  In her next role, she served as Chief of Staff to the Chairman & CEO of the Metropolitan Transit Authority, before founding her own private consulting practice, while also serving as an MTA Board Member. 

Ms. Valdivia holds a Master's Degree in Public Affairs and Urban and Regional Planning from Princeton University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Penn State University. Her official TLC start date is April 13.

About the NYC TLC

Created in 1971, NYC TLC is the agency responsible for licensing and regulating New York City's medallion (yellow) taxi cabs, for-hire vehicles (community-based liveries, black cars, and luxury limousines), commuter vans, and paratransit vehicles, along with the businesses that operate them. It is recognized as the largest and most active taxi and for-hire vehicle regulatory body in the United States.

Almost 180,000 TLC licensees complete approximately 1,000,000 trips each day. To operate for hire, drivers must first undergo a background check, have a safe driving record, and complete 24 hours of driver training. TLC-licensed vehicles are inspected for safety and emissions at TLC's Woodside Inspection Facility.

To find out more about the TLC, or to review its rules, regulations, and procedures, we encourage you to visit our official website at www.nyc.gov/taxi or contact 311/311 Online.

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