Tel# 718 527 5500
Welcome to Commuter Van Association of New York
Tel# 718 527 5500
About Us
Our mission
Welcome to the Commuter Van Association of New York, a community of transportation professionals dedicated to providing safe, reliable, and efficient transportation services to commuters across the state. Our association represents a diverse group of van operators, drivers, and business owners who are committed to meeting the transportation needs of New Yorkers.
As the demand for affordable and convenient transportation options continues to grow, commuter vans have become a popular choice for many individuals and families. Our members are proud to offer a range of services, including shared rides, private charters, and shuttle services, that connect communities and improve access to jobs, schools, and other important destinations.
At the Commuter Van Association of New York, we are dedicated to promoting the highest standards of safety and professionalism among our members. We work closely with government agencies, industry partners, and community organizations to ensure that our operations are safe, efficient, and environmentally friendly.
Whether you are a commuter looking for a reliable ride to work, or a transportation professional looking to join a supportive community of peers, we invite you to learn more about the Commuter Van Association of New York and the services we offer.
Our history
Our Commuter Van Association was founded in 2015 with a vision to improve the daily commute for people in our community. The idea was simple: to create a transportation service that was reliable, safe, and affordable, while also reducing the number of cars on the road and the associated environmental impact.
Starting out as a small local initiative, our association quickly gained popularity and grew in size as more and more commuters discovered the benefits of our service. We expanded our fleet of vans, hired experienced drivers, and developed a user-friendly booking system to streamline the process for our members.
Over the years, we have established ourselves as a trusted and reliable transportation service, serving hundreds of commuters every day across our region. Our commitment to excellence and customer satisfaction has earned us a loyal following, with many of our members staying with us for years.
As we continue to grow and expand our services, we remain dedicated to our founding principles of providing a safe, reliable, and affordable alternative to driving to work. We are proud of our history and excited about our future, and we look forward to serving even more commuters in the years to come.
BACKGROUND
New York City’s economic, social and cultural activities rely upon an effective
transportation infrastructure. While subways and buses operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority provide most of the mass transportation for the City, alternative forms of transportation service large portions of the population, such as commuter vans. Commuter vans are particularly valued as a transportation option in communities that find bus service unreliable or mass transit inaccessible.
- 1- Commuter vans are also useful to the general public when usual forms of transport are unavailable.
- 2 For example, the vans helped many New Yorkers get to and from work and conduct everyday business in the summer of 2002, when 1,500 employees of Queens' private bus lines struck for seven weeks. 3 Commuter vans also played a role in helping to transport commuters to and from work during the transit strike of
2005.
- 4 With low profit margins and relying primarily on high volume service, commuter van companies compete, sometimes heatedly, for every customer. Additionally, although commuter vans are supposed to be licensed by the TLC,
- 5 a number of such vans operate without the proper licensing, insurance, maintenance, and oversight. At a City Council Committee on Transportation hearing on commuter vans,
- 6 some witnesses testified that it is impossible to
distinguish between a licensed commuter van and an unlicensed, illegal commuter van. Prior to 1993, the commuter van industry in New York City operated without any regulations, minimal safeguards, and nonexistent standards. In the early 1990’s (1992-1993), the New York State Legislature enacted several pieces of related legislation (collectively known as
the “state van legislation” 7 ) that effectively authorized the City of New York to directly regulatethis industry. This authorization culminated in the passage of Local Law No. 115 of 1993 which set forth, for the first time, a regulatory structure within which commuter vans could legally
- Jake Mooney, “After Hit and Run, A Bumpy Ride for the Dollar Van,” The New York Times, April 16, 2006.
- Nicholas Confessore, “Bus Strike Forces Thousands to Find Other Ways to Travel,” The New York Times,January 11, 2005.
- J. Stephen Smith, “Shuttle Drivers Feel Shut Out; During the Bus Strike they came to the rescue of commuters, butnow…” Newsday, November 17, 2002.
- Press Release, “Mayor Bloomberg Announces Contingency Plan for Illegal Strike by Transport Workers Union,”December 14, 2005, retrieved from www.nyc.gov/cgibin/misc/pfprinter.cgiaction=print&sitename=om on April 23, 2007.
- New York City Administrative Code Title 19, Chapter 5.
- Committee on Transportation Oversight Hearing: Private Van Services – Vital Transportation Option or Accident Waiting to Happen?, held on March 29, 2006.
- L.1992, c.853 and 854; L.1993, c.487. {12152574:4} 2 operate in New York City. The Taxi and Limousine Commission (“TLC”) was delegated responsibility to enforce commuter van regulations.
Commuter Van Association of New York, Inc.
The Commuter Van Association of New York (“CVANY”) is the premier organization for commuter van companies, owner-operators and operators in the State of New York. CVANY represents the interests of the New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission-licensed commuter vans.
CVANY is the successor to The Interborough Alliance for Community Transportation, Inc. (“IACT”). IACT was active from the early 1990’s through 2010. Through IACT’s advocacy, Local Law 115 of 1993 was enacted to promote standards for licensure and vehiclesafety for commuter vans. IACT also organized the licensed commuter van operators to respond to the City’s needs in the wake of the 9-11 terrorist attacks, the Queens private bus strike of 2002, and the transit strike of 2005. In early 2015, many of the IACT members founded CVANY. The founders agreed that CVANY would serve as an association of licensed commuter van operators serving communities in New York City and beyond. CVANY serves as a unified voice for its members and advocate on their behalf before the community and all levels of government on issues affecting commuter van operators. CVANY also educates its members and the community about commuter van operations and issues facing the commuter van industry.
CVANY is a membership association comprised of commuter van business owners and is a non-profit organization. The officers of CVANY each have over 25 years of service in the transportation industry in New York City, and the members consist primarily of minority owned business and independent operators. Members are performing contract work with the City of New York, and most recently, in December 2022, CVANY was called by Assemblyman
Anderson and Councilwoman Brooks - Powers to provide transportation services due to the flooding in the Rockaway area. CVANY has been responding to such calls for service since the Mayor Giuliani administration.
No part of its net earnings inure to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual. CVANY, core mission is to improve conditions for commuter van operators in New York City.
Its primary purpose is not to perform particular services for individual persons and it will not engage in a regular business of a kind regularly carried on for profit.
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In the past 8 years, CVANY has addressed the critical issues facing the commuter van industry, including the following:
Higher Insurance Costs: Many of the commuter van operator members obtain their insurance through the New York Automobile Plan. Due to the limits for the available insurance, operators are now facing a nearly-insurmountable insurance cost of $34,000 per commuter van.
The COVID Pandemic: At one point, there were approximately 112,000 daily
passengers. Many commuter van operators suspended their services during the height of the pandemic due to the drop in ridership. Today, there are only 12 companies operating 33 commuter vans – even though there are 323 commuter vans currently authorized for these companies, which is far less than the maximum of 635 commuter vans that are allowed to be licensed in total. The potential for increasing commuter van service is exponential.
Unlicensed Operators: Based on the TLC’s annual report on commuter vans to the City Council issued on June 29, 2021, the number of unlicensed commuter vans in operation is unknown. However, in 2020 (in the midst of the pandemic), 115 unlicensed vehicles were summonsed, and 2 unlicensed vans were seized. These numbers reflect the redeployment of TLC Officers to the City’s COVID-related duties in 2020. In other words, the TLC identified more vehicles operating without licenses than those operating as licensed commuter vans – even with the admissions by the TLC that enforcement was reduced in the past few years. Since the unlicensed operators are unburdened with
the same insurance and operating costs, they undercut and unlevel the playing field for licensed operators and CVANY member, while creating a “Wild West” experience for passengers.
Role of CVANY for the Grant Administration Program Given these challenges to the commuter van industry, CVANY would be able to recruit bases, vehicle owners and drivers from its membership and its network of established contacts to enroll in Commuter Van Stabilization Program (the “Program”). With the long history of the CVANY leadership in organizing commuter van operators for legislative, licensing and
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operational concerns of the commuter van industry, CVANY is the best resource for the maximum utilization of the Program and ensure its success.
The following CVANY officers, each with 25 years of transportation experience, will serve as the lead representatives for the Program:
Hector B. Ricketts, President
Faiti Lassisi, Acting Vice President
Lateef Ajala, Executive Secretary
Desmond West, Treasurer
Winston Williams, Assistant Treasurer
Relevant Experience
In addition to more than 150 years of combined experience for the CVANY leaders who will work on the team, we want to note that the Individual companies the CVANY leaders operate have been award contract services for the NYC Human Resources Administration, the NYC Department of Education, and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Additionally, in December 2022, these commuter van operators were called upon by
NYS Assembly Member Khaleel Anderson and NYC Council Member Selvena Brooks-Powers to provide emergency transportation services due to the flooding in the Rockaway area.
Lastly, the commuter van industry has been a part of every NYC mayor’s contingency emergency plans since the Giuliani administration.
Diversity
All of the CVANY leaders operate are from immigrant backgrounds: two are from Africa and three are from Caribbean nations. In addition, the vast majority CVANY members are from minority backgrounds, with diverse origins from 3 continents.
Members
Hector Ricketts
Hector Ricketts
Hector Ricketts
President
Fatai Lasisi
Hector Ricketts
Hector Ricketts
Acting Vice President
Lateef Ajala
Hector Ricketts
Desmond West
Executive Secretary
Desmond West
Winston Williams
Desmond West
Treasurer
Winston Williams
Winston Williams
Winston Williams
Assistant Treasurer