Bathroom Break Access Is Finally In Sight For NYC’s 80,000+ Rideshare & FHV Drivers

Independent Drivers Guild Celebrates City Council Passage of Intro 1000-A, Calls on Mayor to Sign Bill and Deliver Long-Overdue Relief for Rideshare and FHV Drivers

Photos and Video of Bathroom Break Bill City Hall Rally and Full Press conference from 9/15/25; 
Shorter Clip of Council Member Justin Brannan and rideshare driver/ IDG member Liakat Ali speaking on the bill

New York, NY  — The Independent Drivers Guild (IDG) today celebrated the New York City Council’s decisive passage of Intro 1000-A, landmark legislation that will finally address one of the most basic and longstanding problems facing the city’s rideshare and for-hire vehicle (FHV) drivers: having a legal place to park in order to take a restroom, meal, prayer, or rest break.

With today’s vote, the City Council has taken a critical step toward improving the health, safety, and dignity of more than 80,000 Uber and Lyft drivers who complete hundreds of thousands of trips every day to keep New York City moving. The Guild is now urging Mayor Eric Adams to sign Intro 1000-A into law without delay.

The IDG’s bill – Intro 1000-A, sponsored by Council Member Justin Brannan and advanced through the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee under the leadership of Committee Chair Selvena N. Brooks-Powers, allows licensed FHV drivers to park in unused commercial metered parking spaces for short-term work breaks, while paying the meter. The bill makes better use of existing curb space, increases city revenue, reduces congestion, and—most importantly—gives drivers the ability to meet basic human needs during long workdays. The Guild also thanked City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams for her leadership in bringing the bill to a vote and recognizing the urgency of the crisis facing FHV drivers.

“Work breaks are fundamental worker rights. But for years, rideshare drivers have been forced to choose between their health and risking a $115 parking ticket – just to take a restroom break,” said Brendan Sexton, President of the Independent Drivers Guild who recently penned a guest editorial on the bill in the New York Daily News. “Today, the City Council said loud and clear that work breaks and restroom breaks are a right, not a luxury. This is a smart, practical solution that will finally bring relief to more than 80,000 hardworking rideshare drivers who have suffered without reasonable access to bathroom breaks and other work breaks for far too long. Now we urge the Mayor to do his part and sign this bill into law.”

“New Yorkers depend on FHV drivers every day to get around and yet too often we ignore the basic dignity of the people doing the essential work behind these big tech apps. Uber and Lyft drivers are human beings not robots, and no one should have to choose between earning a living and using the bathroom, taking a lunch break, or pausing to pray,” said bill sponsor Council Member Justin Brannan. “This bill to open commercial metered zones for short-term parking for for-hire vehicles is rooted in a simple belief that workers deserve humane working conditions, no matter what. This is about safety, fairness, and treating people with the dignity and decency they’ve earned. New York City has always led by standing up for working people, and this legislation affirms that value in an ever changing economy. Respect for work must always mean respecting workers.”

Currently, there are only about 30 designated FHV parking zones in Manhattan—roughly one for every 2,580 drivers—while thousands of commercial vehicle parking spaces sit underutilized. The lack of access to for-hire vehicle parking has led to lost wages, costly tickets, increased traffic congestion, longer passenger wait times, and serious health consequences, including so-called “Taxicab Syndrome,” a cluster of chronic conditions linked to delayed restroom use and prolonged stress.

Medical experts have warned that delayed restroom access and chronic stress contribute to serious health conditions among FHV drivers, including urinary and bowel disorders, diabetes complications, and fatigue that undermines roadway safety for all New Yorkers. 

IDG praised Transportation Committee Chair Selvena Brooks-Powers for shepherding the bill through the legislative process and centering driver health and safety in the Council’s transportation agenda, and thanked Speaker Adrienne Adams for ensuring the voices of drivers were heard.

“Intro 1000-A will save drivers time, money, and stress, while reducing unnecessary circling and congestion on our streets,” Sexton added. “It’s a win for drivers, passengers, and the city as a whole.”

The Independent Drivers Guild is calling on Mayor Adams to sign Intro 1000-A immediately and deliver on New York City’s promise to treat rideshare drivers with the dignity and respect they deserve.

The bill’s passage comes after an intense organizing effort by IDG members with lobby days and lawmaker meetings that culminated in a 100-driver rally on the steps of City Hall and a packed hearing on the bill in September. Read more about the bill and rally, and see more quotes on the bill here. Additional photos and video footage of the Bathroom Break Bill rally are available upon request. 

The Guild’s first restroom access campaigns were launched shortly after the organization’s founding in 2016. Through rideshare driver calling campaigns to officials, social media posts, local media coverage, and numerous meetings with authorities, the Guild celebrated its first victory in 2017 when it secured the first porta-potties for FHV drivers at JFK airport ‘s FHV and ride-hail waiting lot after many years of no restroom access at all. The Guild continued meeting with Port Authority regularly in the ensuing months and in 2019 IDG delivered the first running water restrooms for FHV and rideshare drivers at all three major New York City area airports for the very first time, with restroom trailers and prayer space at JFK, La Guardia and Newark’s FHV and ride-hail lots. A basic necessity for public health that came at a critical time, the much-needed handwashing stations were installed just months before the pandemic hit the New York City metropolitan area so hard.

About the Independent Drivers Guild

The Independent Drivers Guild (IDG) is the nation’s largest rideshare driver organization and a nonprofit affiliate of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM Union). IDG represents and advocates for over 80,000 for-hire vehicle drivers in New York City and 400,000 drivers nationwide. The Guild has secured historic victories that put billions of dollars in the pockets of drivers, including the nation’s first minimum pay standard for rideshare drivers, in-app tipping, access to restrooms at the three major NYC airports, and a wide range of health, wellness, and benefit programs designed specifically for FHV drivers.

MEDIA CONTACT
Moira@DrivingGuild.org