Ride-hailing apps are authorized to operate in upstate New York starting today. Apps like Lyft and Uber had been bound to the New York City area until now.
James Pontez in Ithaca said he thinks it will be a popular job among college students. It gives them another option for temporary work.
"I mean, I'm sure some people don't always want to deliver pizza," he explained, "Sometimes they'd rather pick up a person."
Pontez also expects the apps to be popular among consumers in Ithaca. The city already has car-sharing.
The Press and Sun Bulletin reported that a provision in the law allows all counties and upstate’s major cities—Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, and Yonkers—to opt out at any time. Few local governments have suggested they will.
The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles released a statement saying companies Uber and Lyft were officially approved on Wednesday afternoon to operate upstate.
A spokesperson from Lyft said the company has signed up thousands of drivers in the Southern Tier. New Lyft users can use the code LYFTLOVE17 to receive a $5 discount on their first ride.