Ride sharing apps to become legal in Long Island

HICKSVILLE, LONG ISLAND (FOX 5 NEWS) - Finding a parking spot at one of Long Island's busiest train stations is never easy.

Now, Uber is hoping to use that frustration to drum up some new business.

When it comes to securing a spot at the Hicksville train station, it's the “hurry up and wait” game.

“If I wanted to find a spot, it'd take me 10-15 min and I’d miss my train,” said one commuter.

However, starting Thursday, commuters will have another option - leave their cars at home and using ride-sharing services like Uber or Lyft - both companies soon-to-be legal on Long Island.

“We’re going to be giving out credits to folks and encouraging them to leave their car at home and use Uber to get to the station to avoid the headache,” said Alix Anfang, a spokesperson for Uber.

Up until now drivers were operating out of the city. Now, Long Islanders looking for extra money can start driving once they pass a background check. Uber said they have thousands of approved drivers ready to hit the road.

“Starting tomorrow, neighbors and friends will use their personal vehicle to do rides, and that means it'll be more affordable,” said Anfang.

Suffolk was the first county to jump onboard with ridesharing, but there's been controversy about whether it's fair for yellow cab companies. People we spoke to said it makes sense if it saves you time and money.

“Anything that would give me the option to get here, I would take it,” said one commuter.

A lot of people were waiting to see if Nassau would opt out, but it was never brought up at legislative meeting earlier this week, making it fair game across Long Island.