Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the nomination of transportation policy leader Midori Valdivia to lead the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) as Chair and Commissioner. Valdivia is a widely-recognized practitioner in transportation and operations, working nationwide to reduce urban congestion and decarbonize transportation through her own transportation and policy practice. She has delivered worker-centered policies throughout her career, including supporting the implementation of the first wage standards for service workers at JFK and LaGuardia Airports and working on the TLC’s first-in-the-nation driver pay study. She is a Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) board member and previously served as Deputy Commissioner for Finance and Administration at the TLC, as Senior Advisor to the Executive Director at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and as Chief of Staff to the Chair and CEO of the MTA.

The nomination builds on Mayor Mamdani’s historic leadership on behalf of taxi drivers and working people. As an Assemblymember, Mayor Mamdani led a 15-day hunger strike in solidarity with the Taxi Workers Alliance, securing a debt relief program for drivers targeted by predatory lending practices tied to taxi medallions. He has continued to center the taxi drivers and their struggles in his work; the Mayor rode with taxi driver Richard Chow – who participated in the hunger strike alongside Mayor Mamdani in 2021 – to his inauguration earlier this month.

“From City Hall, we will deliver meaningful change in the lives of the working people too often forgotten by our politics, and in the day-to-day existences of the taxi drivers who deserve a forceful champion at the TLC,” said Mayor Zohran Mamdani. “That champion is Midori Valdivia, who I am so proud to nominate today to be the Commissioner and Chair of the TLC.”

“New Yorkers deserve safe, reliable, affordable transportation where those who drive for a living are treated with dignity and respect. A strong TLC working in partnership across all agencies is essential to making sure that happens,” said Julie Su, Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice.

“It is an incredible honor to be nominated to join the Mamdani administration as they work to deliver safer streets and a more equitable economy,” said Midori Valdivia, nominee for Taxi and Limousine Commissioner and Chair. “I look forward to the City Council’s consideration and am committed to delivering for drivers, passengers, and New Yorkers across the city.”

Valdivia is on the Board of the Regional Plan Association, a Trustee with the Transit Center, and a Board Member of the Shared-Use Mobility Center. She holds a Master’s in Public Affairs and Urban and Regional Planning from Princeton University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Penn State University. Valdivia lives in Brooklyn with her husband and daughter.

Created in 1971, TLC licenses and regulates more than 200,000 drivers who complete approximately 1,000,000 trips each day. The chair and commissioner is both the head of the City agency, and chair of the TLC’s nine-member board. TLC commissioners are subject to the City Council’s advice and consent powers.

“Our brother, Mayor Mamdani fought in the trenches for economic justice alongside taxi drivers before he became mayor. Today, he delivers on his commitment to uplifting the 180,000 New Yorkers who earn their living as TLC-licensed drivers by nominating a public servant who champions workers. The New York Taxi Workers Alliance is proud to support the nomination of Midori Valdivia as the next Chairperson of the Taxi and Limousine Commission,” said Bhairavi Desai, Executive Director, New York Taxi Workers Alliance.

“Yet again, the Mamdani Administration selects a ringer for its A team. Midori Valdivia’s broad experience, tenacity, and values are just what is needed to guide the for-hire and taxi industry through the next sea change in transportation,” said Meera Joshi, President of Green-Wood and former TLC Chair and former Deputy Mayor for Operations. “She has weathered and prevailed through transportation storms of every variety and scale, and will prove essential to protecting our professional drivers citywide and ensuring safe transportation for all.”

“The evolving ecosystem of for-hire vehicles requires a leader who understands the complex challenges that the industry faces and how it impacts people that live and visit New York City. Midori Valdivia has a strong track record as a problem solver and transportation expert. I applaud Mayor Mamdani’s leadership in appointing her to lead New York City’s Taxi and Limousine Commission,” said Frankie Miranda, President and CEO of the Hispanic Federation. “During our joint tenure on the MTA board, I have seen the incredible value of Midori’s knowledge, extensive skill set, and visionary foresight necessary to lead this critically important agency.”

/Public Release. This material from the originating organization/author(s) might be of the point-in-time nature, and edited for clarity, style and length. Mirage.News does not take institutional positions or sides, and all views, positions, and conclusions expressed herein are solely those of the author(s).View in full here.