We submitted testimony to the New York City Council Committee on Consumer Affairs and Business Licensing yesterday in support of a package of legislation intended to improve conditions for working cyclists, including a Carlina Rivera bill requiring bathroom access for delivery workers, a Justin Brannan bill that would let Deliveristas set distance limits on orders made through third-party apps, and a Brad Lander bill that would lead to setting minimum per-trip payments for workers delivering on behalf of app companies. Our testimony follows below.

We are proud to speak in favor of this package of bills and are especially proud that all of the lead sponsors of the bills are StreetsPAC endorsees, either past or present, including Council Members Rivera, Brannan, Reynoso, Lander, Menchaca, Van Bramer, Kallos, Chin, Rosenthal, Gibson, and Adams, along with Public Advocate Williams.

The pandemic has exposed many inequities in our city, and the plight of delivery workers is near the top of the list. Before the virus hit, these tens of thousands of essential workers were invisible to many New Yorkers. As restaurants closed, many began to realize how much we rely on food delivery workers for our very survival. At the same time, it became clearer how poorly these workers are treated and how harsh their working conditions are. These conditions include: low pay, dangerous streets, constant exposure to the elements, lack of access to bathrooms or safe places to rest and, recently, the armed theft of their e-bikes.

These bills are a milestone – not just because they go a long way toward improving working conditions for delivery workers – but even more importantly because they signal that these workers are invisible no longer; that they matter and they deserve protection – just as construction workers, taxi drivers, nail salon workers and all others whose labor makes this city possible – matter and deserve protection.