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Council hearing examines commuter-van recovery and enforcement as licensed fleet slowly rebounds
Summary
City officials and advocates debated enforcement against unlicensed commuter vans, a state stabilization grant that helped licensed operators return, and two council bills to study the industry and standardize enforcement checklists.
The City Council Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on Thursday examined the Taxi and Limousine Commission's oversight of commuter vans, enforcement against unlicensed operators and two bills that would study the industry and require a standardized enforcement checklist.
The discussion centered on an industry that shrank from hundreds of licensed commuter vans a decade ago to fewer than 40 after the pandemic, and that has since grown modestly: "we have been able to get the commuter van industry towards a path to recovery," David Do, commissioner and chair of the Taxi and Limousine Commission, told the committee. Do said the administration now counts 51 licensed commuter vans and 16 licensed commuter-van authorities.
Why it matters: commuter vans serve transit "deserts," carry up to 20 passengers and provide connections where fixed-route transit is limited. Committee members and advocates said enforcement against unlicensed vans is essential both to safety and to a fair market for licensed operators.
TLC testimony and enforcement numbers TLC Commissioner David Do and department staff described enforcement efforts and a stabilization grant that helped licensed operators. Do said the commuter-van stabilization program, funded through Empire State Development, offered aid to help operators obtain insurance and technology. He said TLC and NYPD have conducted joint operations; Do reported 119 summonses to unlicensed commuter vans in 2025 (up from 59 in 2024) and nine joint operations in Brooklyn and Queens so far in 2025.
Eric Beaton, deputy commissioner for transportation planning and management at the Department of Transportation, said DOT estimates commuter vans serve up to 70,000 riders daily and described DOT's role approving van authority and curb management. Beaton said DOT produced a citywide commuter-van study in 2018 and that a new study could provide modest benefits for policy making.
Advocates, owners and unions push for enforcement and supports Leroy Morrison, president of the New York City Commuter Vans Association, and Desmond West, owner of Royal Roads Transportation, urged stronger enforcement and more stopping locations. Morrison said the industry has raised private funding and seeks policy support; West said illegal vans still vastly outnumber licensed vans on Flatbush Avenue and that isolated enforcement actions allow illegal operators to return.
The Amalgamated Transit Union told the committee it opposes efforts that would effectively privatize bus service; ATU described illegal vans as "racing along city streets" and said they can reduce MTA revenues and harm riders who depend on buses.
Council bills discussed - Intro 1346 (Brooks Powers) would require DOT to study commuter-van service and produce a public report every four years. DOT and TLC staff said a study would be useful for evaluating industry recovery and identifying study goals. - Intro 1347 (Brooks Powers) would direct TLC, working with NYPD and DOT, to develop a comprehensive enforcement checklist for illegal commuter vans. TLC testified that requiring a lengthy checklist during stops would add administrative burden and could hinder enforcement; TLC warned the paperwork could make operations more difficult for enforcement officers.
What remained unresolved TLC witnesses said they do not maintain a comprehensive count of unlicensed commuter vans and that measuring the full universe of illegal operations would require resource-intensive surveys. TLC also said court precedent and practical challenges can complicate vehicle seizures and that many unlicensed vans are plated in other states, which slows enforcement and forfeiture processes.
Looking ahead Committee members and panelists called for clearer enforcement procedures, cooperation across TLC, DOT and NYPD, and the proposed study to produce better route and usage data. Several speakers urged the council to use the bills to pair enforcement with pathways for illegal operators to become licensed.
Ending note: No vote on the bills was recorded at the hearing; the measures were considered in an oversight context and remained under committee review.
