Jacobs, Ridesharing Coalition Call for Assembly Action

(Buffalo, NY) – With the NCAA Basketball Tournament at KeyBank Center as a backdrop, New York State Senator Chris Jacobs (60^th SD) called on the leadership of the State Assembly to stop being obstructionists and honor their commitment to bring ridesharing to upstate New York. 

Jacobs was joined in this effort by local elected leaders and ridesharing stakeholders who announced a new social media campaign aimed directly at Assembly leaders.  Using the #NotAgain, ridesharing supporters, residents and local leaders are being asked to contact their Assembly member and press for support.   The renewed effort comes on the heels of recent negative developments in Albany this past week. 

“Last week the Assembly proposed a bill with such bad provisions that it would kill any chance of ridesharing in our area, and then a few days later they refused to include ridesharing in their budget,” said Senator Jacobs.  “I am asking citizens to contact the Speaker of the Assembly Carl Heastie to demand a real ridesharing bill be included in the state budget by April 1^st.  New York City has ridesharing and we don’t, that is not fair and it needs to end now,” said Jacobs.  

One damaging aspect of the Assembly bill is a local control provision that would subject ridesharing companies and their drivers to being regulated in every municipality in upstate New York.  City of Buffalo South District Common Councilmember Christopher Scanlon contradicted Assembly claims that localities were seeking this level of control.

“The need for ridesharing in Buffalo could not be any clearer,” said Buffalo Common Councilmember Chris Scanlon. “Residents, business owners, students, and visitors have made this a priority issue and it is time for our leaders to deliver. We need a statewide regulatory framework to make sure that we can move seamlessly between communities, reflecting how we truly live. If we want Buffalo’s resurgence to continue then our state assembly needs to work with the Senate and Governor and pass legislation in the state budget."

The Buffalo Sabres were represented at the press conference by Sabres Vice President and HarborCenter General Manager Mike Gilbert.  The lack of ridesharing services was widely noticed and met with disbelief and disappointment by many out of town visitors attending the NCAA tournament games at KeyBank Center.  Ridesharing advocates would like to avoid a similar embarrassment at next year’s World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.

“Ridesharing can, and should, play an important role in the continued revitalization of our city and region, said Jay Manno, owner of Soho Burger Bar and Frankie Primo’s. “Ridesharing is an important economic development tool and a safe, innovative way for people to move within and throughout communities. I, along with countless other business owners in Buffalo see how not having this additional mode of transportation negatively impacts our businesses and we won’t stop fighting until ridesharing is legal Upstate.”