MARBLEGATE HOSTS NEW YORK CITY’S FIRST TAXI DRIVER APPRECIATION DAY AT TAXI CLUBHOUSE

Clubhouse celebrates first annual Taxi Driver Appreciation Day by expanding operations to six days a week 

Marblegate was joined by TLC Commissioner David Do, NYTWA members, and partner organizations who provided health screenings, legal assistance, and new food offerings

NEW YORK, NY – Marblegate Asset Management (Marblegate) was joined by TLC Commissioner David Do, the New York City Taxi Workers Alliance, Memorial Sloan Kettering, New York Legal Assistance Group and Raja Foods for their first ever “Taxi Driver Appreciation Day” – six months after the formal opening of the city’s first exclusive Taxi Clubhouse. The event celebrated taxi drivers’ critical contributions to New York’s transportation infrastructure, and it comes as the clubhouse begins offering newly expanded hours to serve drivers six days a week. 

The event included a variety of services for drivers to express appreciation and thank them for their work, including customer service from the NYC TLC’s Van Hailin mobile office to fulfill agency-related business, free health screenings and no cost legal consultations for taxi related issues. The Clubhouse provided drivers with free meals and snacks along with opportunities to learn how to get involved in future programming. The Clubhouse also announced the launch of their “Clubhouse Council,” an advisory board where drivers will have the opportunity to build community and discuss ideas they have for programming to enhance the driver experience.

“Marblegate has been guided by the principle of treating the driver as the customer since we entered the industry in 2018, working to ensure drivers have access to the space and resources they need to support their well-being in an effort to drive positive change in the industry,” said Andrew Milgram, Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer at Marblegate Asset Management. “This Taxi Driver Appreciation Day is about furthering our commitment to drivers and thanking them for the essential service they provide to New Yorkers every day. To all drivers, we care about you, we value you and we appreciate you.” 

“Driver Appreciation Day is another fantastic way the Taxi Clubhouse is supporting our city’s hardworking drivers, and when you really think about it, every day should be Driver Appreciation Day,” said Taxi and Limousine Commissioner David Do. “The City’s for-hire drivers get all of us where we need to go, and they collectively do it about 800,000 time every single day. On behalf of the Mayor and the Commission, thank you, drivers! Thank you for always being there for us and our families, and for all of your hard work.”

“The Taxi Clubhouse only gets better. In just six months, it's become an essential institution, the first of its kind to give rest and relief to a workforce that never stops moving in the city that never sleeps. We're still in awe of this refuge with bathrooms, massage chairs, prayer area, and gathering space dedicated just to drivers gifted to them by Marblegate,” said Bhairavi Desai, Executive Director of the 27,000- member New York Taxi Workers Alliance which represents taxi and Uber and Lyft drivers. “We remain thankful to Marblegate and to the TLC and especially Chairman Do for looking to continually add services and providers such as Sloan Kettering for taking care of drivers. Driving can be an isolating job, and exhausting physically, even painful. The Taxi Clubhouse is a refuge to recharge. We're proud to be Marblegate's labor partners and commend Mr. Milgram's caring and visionary commitment to looking out for drivers.”

“Taxi drivers help keep our city running and deserve to be treated with respect and dignity. Having served taxi drivers through their legal needs for the last three years, New York Legal Assistance Group was happy to be a part of the driver appreciation event at the Taxi Clubhouse to celebrate their hard work and dedication,” said Rose Marie Cantanno, associate director of the Consumer Protection Unit at New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG). “We remain committed to assisting drivers and were thrilled that the Taxi Clubhouse will provide them with a space to recharge, relax, and feel supported.”

"Raja Foods is thrilled to partner with the Taxi Clubhouse to support hard-working NYC taxi drivers in our own small way" said Rohan Patel of Raja Foods. "As a South Asian food company, we saw an opportunity to provide positive support to an essential NYC community that would have real appreciation for our delicious snacks and products."

Taxi drivers play a crucial role in New York City’s transportation infrastructure by providing an accessible and reliable mode of transportation, particularly in areas where public transit might be limited or inaccessible. Despite their vital service, New York City taxi drivers have some of the most difficult jobs in the city and routinely face challenges to meet some of their most basic needs during long shifts, including finding a space to use the restroom, eat a meal or take a break outside of their cabs. 

That led to Marblegate Asset Management opening the Taxi Clubhouse earlier this year, a first-of-its-kind 3,000 square foot space that provides drivers with a dedicated space to rest, relax, and recharge during their shifts. The space was modeled on driver surveys in an effort to cater to the specific needs of drivers and improve their working conditions. The space includes amenities such as bathrooms, free coffee and tea, games, televisions, massage chairs, wifi and computer access, exercise equipment and a prayer room.