There is a “CarFreeNYC” rally today sponsored by, CM Ydanis Rodriguez, the chair of NYC Council’s transportation committee. Inexplicably, Rodriguez has solicited Uber to become one of his partners in the inaugural event where among demands for less street congestion, an educational panel spoke on issues relate to transportation, sustainability, and equity.  “It’s a shocking about-face for Rodriguez, who last year seemed to take delight in trying to rein in Uber’s popularity. He sponsored the bill put forward by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio to cap Uber’s growth at 1 percent.” (http://www.theverge.com/2015/ 12/4/9851000/uber-nyc-bill-de- blasio-report-investigation- cap-tax-cuomo)

New Yorkers for Equal Transportation Access (NYETA) is calling on the Council Member to renounce this deal with the devil—a company that has added over 30,000 cars to our city streets creating MASS CONGESTION and more so, has literally thrown New York’s disabled under the bus by refusing to make ANY of its cars accessible for the disabled community.

As NYETA spokesperson Brad Gerstman says:

“The city council should not be allying itself with a company that has spit in the face of some of the most vulnerable New Yorkers. It is passed time for the legislature to pass into law an accessibility mandate for Uber that is comparable to the 50% target mandated for NYC taxis.”

The NYC Council needs to handle the Uber usurper just like it treats the taxi industry and all of the regulations applied to one, must be applied to all. Uber or any other business should be given preferential treatment.

What’s been missing, are those champions for the downtrodden and disadvantaged who have risen to become leaders in New York for the past 150 years. Our disturbingly quiescent elected officials today need to stand up against the destructive Uber model. If they don’t, they’ll be mocking New York values and supporting millionaires and billionaires rather than NY’s workers, and the disabled.

We not only need a Car-Free day, but an Uber-Free Day as well!