Women lead several key driving trade groups in the city, and though female operators are still in the single digits, their numbers are growing.

by Jose Martinez

As Midori Valdivia takes the wheel of the New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission, she is encountering an industry with other women in key leadership roles — and where the number of trips with females in the driver’s seat is growing.

Valdivia is the fourth woman to serve as commissioner and chair in the 55-year history of the TLC and her arrival comes as agency data shows that female operators complete 6% of all monthly trips by the more than 178,000 TLC-licensed drivers who ferry passengers for livery bases, yellow taxis, green cabs and app-centered ride-hailing services such as Lyft and Uber.
That is a marked increase from just over a decade ago, when there were more than 140,000 TLC-licensed operators across the various for-hire vehicle classes as app-based services were in their infancy.

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Jose is THE CITY’s transportation reporter, where he covers the latest developments and policies impacting traffic and transit in the city.