Lyft to NYC: We're not waiting

The car-sharing service Lyft is officially launching its New York City business this week, serving Queens and Brooklyn beginning at 7 p.m. Friday - without approval from the city government.

The San Francisco-based company announced the move on its blog. Already locked in an epic battle for market share with Uber, Lyft promises its New York launch will be its biggest ever, with 500 drivers signed up, or 10 times what it's started with in other cities. The $700 million company will make rides free up to $25 for the first two weeks to build the business.

Lyft made the announcement not long after its David Estrada, its VP of governmental affairs, met with Taxi and Limousine Commissioner Meera Joshi. A spokesman for the commission did not immediately reply to questions. Lyft has launched without regulatory approval in other jurisdictions, leading to some high-profile disputes.

Like other tech-based startups that challenge long-standing business regulations, Lyft is trying to build political support for its right to compete. It says 75,000 people have already opened its mobile-phone app despite no existing services here, and also is promoting a change.org petition for Lyft to come here.

On its blog, the company also published a side-by-side comparison in safety and screening procedures, claiming that Lyft drivers are more likely than cabbies to be screened out for violent crime, sexual assault, DUI and reckless driving convictions.

'Brooklyn and Queens are vastly underserved by public transit options compared to the rest of New York City,' the blog post reads. 'In fact, just one of New York's 23 subway lines passes solely between boroughs, and 95% of taxi pickups happen in Manhattan or a local airport.'

Ben Fischer covers local and regional business in greater New York City.