PEOPLE FIRST TRANSPORTATION ALLIANCE (PFTA)

Protecting Jobs, Public Safety, and Accountability on New York’s Streets

Who We Are

The People First Transportation Alliance (PFTA) is a statewide coalition of labor unions, community organizations, safe-streets advocates, and faith leaders united to ensure that New York’s transportation policies prioritize people over untested technology.

Founding Members Include:

  • Independent Drivers Guild (IDG)

  • IAM Union

  • New York Communities for Change (NYCC)

  • Black Clergy for Economic Empowerment

  • African American Clergy Organization

  • Justice for App Workers (JFAW) 

  • Transit Workers Union (TWU) Local 100 

  • Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1181

Together, we represent working families, immigrant communities, public safety advocates, and neighborhoods across New York State.

Legislation We Support

We strongly support S09038 / A10087, introduced by Senator Luis Sepúlveda and Assembly Member Karines Reyes, which:

Requires a trained human driver to be present in all motor vehicles operated for hire, seated behind the steering wheel and actively engaged in the task of driving.

This legislation protects:

  • Jobs

  • Public safety

  • Clear accountability standards

  • The integrity of New York’s for-hire transportation sector

Our Commitment

The People First Transportation Alliance will engage in grassroots advocacy, public education, and legislative outreach to ensure that New York prioritizes safety, fairness, and working families. We urge legislators to:

  • Support S09038 / A10087

  • Stand with working New Yorkers and safe streets

1. It Puts 300,000 New York Jobs at Risk ‍

  • More than 300,000 professional driver jobs could be eliminated statewide.

  • These are good-paying jobs largely held by immigrants and people of color.

  • At a time of economic uncertainty and affordability challenges, New York should not displace hundreds of thousands of working families.

Why We Oppose Legalizing Driverless Vehicles

2. Public Safety Must Come First

  • Fully driverless vehicles remain untested at scale in complex urban environments.

  • New York’s streets are uniquely dense, pedestrian-heavy, and transit-rich.

  • Removing a trained human driver reduces accountability and increases uncertainty in crash scenarios.

3. Accountability Cannot Be Automated

  • When something goes wrong, a human driver can intervene.

  • Corporate operators and remote systems cannot replace real-time human judgment behind the wheel.

  • Public policy should ensure clear lines of responsibility for vehicles operating for hire.