Getting home from a party or a night out can be inconvenient for those who need a ride. That could be changing soon.
Many in the upstate New York community are frustrated ride-sharing is not available in the region. One of them is Public Affairs Manager of AAA Western and Central New York Elizabeth Carey.
"It would definitively offer another alternative to people who don't want to drive their cars home," said Carey. "There are a lot of people out there who are going to parties and they might feel they don't have alternatives because there are not many choices in this market."
The New York State Senate is expected to take up a bill Monday that would bring ride-sharing to upstate New York.
"We don't want these tourists to get into town and be disappointed when the realize they don't have convenience of different services that are available in other parts of the country," said Carey. We don't want the lack of ride-sharing to be a black eye for the region. So we'd like to see it available since it is prevalent in other communities across the entire country."
Senator Chris Jacobs said having services like Uber and Lyft in Western New York is one of his top priorities.
"I continuously hear from my constituents who ask why New York City has ride-sharing and our region does not. This is a prime example of the unequal treatment upstate New York receives compared to New York City. The State Senate is ready to right this wrong and I call on the State Assembly to do the same."
Senior Partner at Larkin Development Group Leslie Zemsky believes it would be especially beneficial to millennials.
"I think it would be a great way for students out at universities to come to food truck Tuesday's," said Zemsky. "The convenience when I'm in other cities having Uber ... when mykids come home and are with all their friends... It would be so much safer if they could just take an Uber. I can't wait until it happens across the state."
The bill is expected to be brought to the floor for a vote Monday afternoon.
