Ben Kallos, a city councilman and software developer, introduced a bill last year that would require the city to create a free universal e-hail app. He praised the new apps as "exactly what the city needed," but lamented their late arrival.
A quartet of politicians—Rep. Carolyn Maloney, Councilmen Daniel Garodnick and Ben Kallos, and Assemblyman Dan Quart—held a press conference Wednesday to warn of five issues that could postpone completion of the first phase of the new subway line. In ascending order of worry, they listed the 69th Street entrance to the 72nd Street station, track installation, electrical work, the project's budget, and—their top concern—the 86th Street entrance.
TLC mum on universal e-hail app
The Taxi and Limousine Commission is mum so far on Manhattan Councilman (and software designer) Ben Kallos' bill to create a universal e-hail app for yellow cabs. The bill would require the TLC to contract out the creation of the new app, which could allow popular apps like Uber and Lyft to extend their business to the city's coveted fleet of 13,437 yellow taxis.
