"Today, the State Assembly passed landmark legislation that would dramatically improve the transportation options for New Yorkers who live in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and Upper Manhattan. Under the legislation, the residents of those areas - who make up 80 percent of all New Yorkers - would be able to hail a new class of taxi cab in their neighborhoods, free from worries about whether the car is safe, or whether they will have to haggle over the price. The legislation would also help our 40,000 livery drivers earn a better, safer living, without encroaching on the livelihood of yellow cab drivers, who would continue to have the exclusive right to pick up passengers in most of Manhattan and at the airports.

"I want to thank Speaker Sheldon Silver and Cities Committee Chair Carl Heastie, who spent months diligently collecting input and crafting a bill that has earned broad bipartisan and industry support. We are very hopeful that the Senate will pass the bill, which would have such a positive impact on the everyday lives of so many New Yorkers, before the close of this legislation session."