Left unresolved during last year's budget negotiations, ridesharing appears to be a priority for Gov. Andrew Cuomo in 2017.
The governor's office has confirmed Cuomo will lay out a proposal this week during his series of regional State of the State addresses. The first of those speeches will take place Monday in New York City and Buffalo
This proposal would require New York State, rather than local governments, to regulate and issue permits for ridesharing companies.
Services like Uber have been doing a full-court press with ads across upstate pushing to allow it and other companies, like Lyft, to operate in cities like Buffalo and Rochester.
Cuomo is set to talk in Buffalo at 3 p.m. at the University at Buffalo Center for the Performing Arts. Mayor Byron Brown said he supports ridesharing coming his to city, which is among the largest in the nation not to have the service available.
"It's important that Buffalo - the second largest city in the state of New York - get ride sharing and it be done in a way that does not harm the traditional taxi cab industry, and I think the governor's proposal goes a long way in being able to accomplish that," Brown said.
Uber has released a statement on Cuomo's decision, saying: “Thank you Governor Cuomo for listening to the voices of New Yorkers who are demanding affordable, reliable transportation options like Uber. It’s time for the Empire State to join New York City and the 47 other states in allowing ridesharing services to operate.”
The Upstate Transportation Association also issued a statement ahead of Cuomo's address, urging for background checks as part of the proposal:
"We hope the governor ensures that companies like Uber and Lyft will operate upstate under the same safety and insurance regulations that already protect riders in New York City.
"Any disparities between upstate and downstate ridesharing rules could create chaos and lead to years of self-inflicted regulatory problems across New York's transportation industry. State lawmakers and city councils have specifically called for fingerprint background checks in any ridesharing bill because they believe upstate passengers should be just as safe as those downstate.
"Governor Cuomo should make the smart choice for a level playing field that supports ridesharing and taxi drivers while providing a safe experience for every rider in our state."