Uber, the transportation network company that has taken the world by storm, is looking to plant roots in the city of Binghamton.

Representatives from Uber came to Binghamton on Wednesday to speak with locals interested in becoming drivers for the company. More than 100 people attended the event, which was hosted at Terra Cotta on State Street.

Working with Binghamton Mayor Rich David, Uber released a Binghamton Economic Impact Report on Wednesday that detailed the economic benefits of bringing Uber to the city. The report projects that over 200 jobs would be created in the first year alone.

Jared Kraham, the executive assistant to the mayor, said that Uber is already in high demand in the area and has a lot of potential. According to the impact report, more than 1,500 people open the Uber app in the local area each month, only to find that the service is unavailable.

“It will provide a new option for students and residents to explore every corner of our city,” Kraham said. “And bring in those from around the region to the destination of Downtown Binghamton and have them see all there is to offer.”

Binghamton is one part of Uber’s larger initiative to bring the service to all of upstate New York. The company, alongside allies such as state Sen. Fred Akshar, Assemblyman Clifford Crouch and Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan, is pushing for New York lawmakers to pass legislature that would regulate Uber in upstate New York.

This legislature would regulate Uber operations if it were to operate as a statewide franchise. There is also a need for Uber-specific insurance laws, since current rules in place are catered to city-based cab companies. New York state legislature is back in session from January through June of 2016.

Students like Hannah Sommers-Thaler, a sophomore majoring in environmental studies, have already expressed interest in the initiative. She said that Uber would make traveling Downtown easier, especially on the weekends.

“It’s so hard to get a cab Downtown,” Sommers-Thaler said. “Knowing that Uber is reliable would make the process of going Downtown so much easier, especially since the buses have been insanely crowded the entire semester.”

Uber could also provide an alternative for students who commute to campus, but finish work after buses stop running. Catherin Remache, a senior double-majoring in human development and history, works at the Glenn G. Bartle Library help desk and frequently leaves after midnight. She said that she relies on friends to pick her up.

“On off-nights there aren’t a lot of cabs available,” Remache said. “[Uber] would give me the ability to cover for people who can’t make it to their late-night shifts without the worry of how I’m going to get home. I’d feel a lot safer because I wouldn’t have to walk from the bus stop alone.”

The company has been facing concerns from the Committee for Taxi Safety, composed of New York City taxi agents, that say Uber will take jobs from upstate drivers. But according to Binghamton drivers like Beruj Huseyin, owner of private company University Cab, these concerns are not Binghamton-specific. He exclusively transports Binghamton University students, and said that his clientele are not a good match for the services Uber offers.

“The Uber cars are brand new, and they’re regulated,” Huseyin said. “I pick students up, the students get drunk, they get really nasty and they get sick. They do this on a brand new Uber vehicle, it will be bad and it will not work.”

Ed Ibrahim, the owner of NY Taxi Independent Cab, also said that Uber drivers would serve a different clientele than current cab drivers. But, he said, the two could coexist without affecting business.

“On weekdays, it will be easier to have Uber as a driver,” Ibrahim said. “You’re going to see calls pop up and pick up business. On weekends, it will be almost impossible for Uber to keep up with demand. People will keep calling and calling, everybody is out on campus and it is easier to just drive around and find passengers as you go.”

Ibrahim also said that since cab drivers currently charge students at a per-person rate, they can profit more from busy weekend shifts than if they operated under Uber’s flat-rate system.

Kraham said there is no concern over conflict between local cabs and Uber vehicles, and that the two will have a mutually exclusive but beneficial relationship.

“In other areas where it is taking place, you see a harmonious relationship between Taxi services and Uber drivers,” Kraham said. “They provide different types of services: one is on demand, and one is for a specific location. They can work in harmony.”