Tech:NYC Digest: June 16

Tech:NYC Digest: June 16

June 16, 2021 • Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes

Wednesday, June 16, 2021In today’s digest, why many New York businesses won’t flip the switch on safety protocols, how to make sure we’re prepared for the coming EV wave, and Ben Max gives us his primary election predictions on the latest episode of Talk:NYC.

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It’s the first full day of New York’s big reopening — COVID-related restrictions across almost all social and commercial settings are no more. New Yorkers lined up alongside the Hudson River for a fireworks show marking the occasion, and are carrying their excitement and relief into a summer filled with the activities they’ve missed in the past 15 months. (amNY)

  • “New Yorkers are eager for the return of remote workers, visitors, and students, which will lead to the rebound of our small businesses, cultural institutions, and the vibrant street life that defines our city,” said Partnership for New York City CEO Kathryn Wylde.

The reopening isn’t an indication things will default back to normal, though, and some businesses aren’t quite ready to do away with safety protocols all at once. (Newsday)

  • Many restaurants have indicated they won’t automatically add more seating back, and retails shops may still ask customers to wear a mask, regardless of vaccination status. Individual establishments can still decide what rules to keep or lift, so for your next trip to the supermarket or the salon, make sure you still have your mask on you.

There’s no word when Gov. Cuomo might lift the small number of remaining mandates (e.g., mask requirements in public transit), but it will likely only come when the CDC says it’s safe to do so nationwide. (NY1)

Our takeaway

: There’s a lot of reason to be excited, but it’s also a good thing most New Yorkers aren’t “flipping the switch” back to normal. There’s still more to be done to push our vaccination rates beyond their current plateaus, especially

where the rates remain below 40 percent.

With less than a week until Primary Day in NYC (and tonight’s fourth and final mayoral debate airing), the candidate for mayor and several others seats are in the final stretch of their races. 

For the latest episode of Talk:NYC, we checked in with an expert who’s been following the election as closely as anyone: Gotham Gazette executive editor Ben Max. Hear his thoughts on what issues are surrounding the contenders, how they’ve differentiated themselves in a crowded race, and why it’s so important to rank candidates all the way down the ballot in this first citywide test of ranked choice voting.

Get the episode here or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Both the climate and economic arguments for electric vehicles (EV) have long been laid out, and there’s broad consensus that the big transition moment is coming this decade. It’s time New York builds an infrastructure to incentivize and support EVs, so consumers, riders, and drivers can stay with the times, writes our own Julie Samuels:

  • “[W]hy, of the 1.9 million cars and SUVs in New York City, are there only 14,000 electric vehicles? Simply put, the city and state make it overly complicated to own and operate one.”

The city’s Taxi & Limousine Commission (TLC) is seeking to revoke an exemption for electric vehicles to the for-hire vehicle licensing cap. Changing the rules now prevents more drivers from making the shift and prolongs the overreliance on gas vehicles on our streets. (Gothamist)

  • So far, less than half of one percent of more than 100,000 for-hire vehicles in the city are all-electric. Revel is only hiring TLC-licensed drivers to operate its zero-emission fleet, which they, not the drivers, are on the hook to maintain. The company is also building the largest publicly available charging station in North America in Brooklyn.

It’s a model the company says will benefit existing drivers, not add more cabs to chronically congested streets, and build on a regulatory landscape that puts cleaner alternatives on the roads and provides more sustainable income to drivers. 

  • “With more foresight, the TLC could see that the EV revolution is in its — and the thousands of New York City drivers’ — best interest,” says Samuels.

What’s next: Next Tuesday, June 22, the TLC will hold a (virtual) public hearing on the EV exemption rule, and if it’s eliminated, it would dim the city’s opportunity to usher in a wave of EV technologies ready to be deployed. Anyone can email comments on the hearing here.

  • Gloat, a New York-based talent marketplace, raised $57 million in Series C funding. Accel led, and was joined by Eight Roads, Intel Capital, Magma Venture Partners and PICO Partners. (TechCrunch)

  • Nate, a New York-based shopping app, raised $38 million in Series A funding. Renegade Partners led, and was joined by Forerunner Ventures and insiders Coatue and Canaan Partners.

  • June 21 – 25: Virtual: Mobilize Women Week 2021, with Spotify Global Head of Equity and Impact Elizabeth Nieto, Microsoft Chief Accessibility Officer Jenny Lay-Flurrie, BetterUp Chief Product Officer Gabriella Rosen Kellerman, and others. Hosted by Ellevate Network. Register here.

  • June 22: Trading Exploded: Can Financial Education Catch Up?, with Inspired Capital Managing Partner Alexa von Tobel, EverFi President Ray Martinez, Commonstock Founder Dave McDonough, and others. Hosted by Protocol. Register here.

  • June 22: How Salesforce Is Thinking About Real Estate and The Future of Work, with SVP of Global Workplace Services Michele Schneider. Hosted by Savills. Register here.

  • June 22: Virtual: The Future of the Office with New York tech HR leaders, including Vivvi Head of People Lauren Gill, CommonBond VP of People Keryn Koch, and Suzy Chief People Officer Anthony Onesto. Hosted by Tribeca Venture Partners. Register here.

We know you’re excited about the reopening of your favorite NYC jaunts, but is it as much as this mama duck and her ducklings are for the reopening of Bagel World?

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