NY Senate to vote on allowing Uber, Lyft to expand upstate

Uber and Lyft could be coming to upstate New York under legislation poised for approval in the state Senate.

The two ride-hailing companies are now prohibited from operating outside of the New York City area. Previous attempts to authorize the expansion have been blocked in part by opposition from the taxi cab industry.

The bill in the Senate would not require the fingerprinting of Uber drivers — something taxi cab owners have said should be included. Uber says it already conducts background checks and that fingerprinting isn't necessary.

The Republican-led Senate is expected to approve the bill Monday. The Democrat-controlled Assembly has yet to vote on the measure. Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo supports the expansion.

Buffalo is currently one of the largest U.S. cities that doesn't have access to Uber and Lyft.