During his 10th State of the City address Wednesday, Mayor Michael Bloomberg proposed creating a new category of livery cabs that will be allowed to make street pick-ups outside of Manhattan, where yellow cabs can be difficult to find.

According to the mayor, 97 percent of yellow cab pick-ups happen in Manhattan or at the airports, even though 80 percent of New Yorkers live outside of Manhattan.

"It's very hard to get the yellow cab, especially in Astoria,” said one local resident.

So many of those residents rely on livery cabs to get where they need to go. But, currently, liveries are supposed to make pickups only in response to calls to a dispatcher.

The cabs would be outfitted with meters, credit card machines and GPS devices, and would have special markings so riders can identify them.

The New York Taxi Workers Alliance is objecting to the livery cab proposal, saying it would reduce income for yellow cab drivers.

"Already the city has turned a blind eye on such activity throughout Manhattan and the airports, which cuts deep into taxi driver income," said the head of the TWA in a statement. “Yellow cab drivers pay between $130 to $190 per shift before they can break even. Every fare counts."

"I don't know if it's good or not," said a yellow cab driver. "For me, it doesn't matter."

"It's bad. We'd lose business, every yellow cab," said another.

Livery drivers who spoke with NY1 say it would be good for business, as did many passengers.

"I think it's a good idea,” said one driver. “If you can do it and it's legal, so we can go and pick up, and people can get a reasonable fare in this way."

"In Queens, you usually have to call one, but now you'd just be able to just hail one and it would be much more convenient and time-saving,” said a local resident.

However, New Yorkers were split on whether the new legislation would make them think better of the mayor, following the December blizzard debacle, and the controversial appointment of Schools Chancellor Cathie Black.

"I think it would probably be great for his reputation,” said a New Yorker.

"I think it would be a very good option,” said another who then answer “Ah, ah, no” when asked about whether it would change her opinion of the mayor.

Under the plan, fares charged by liveries for street pick-ups would be the same as the yellow cabs. How many livery cabs might participate would depend on whether livery companies are willing to change their business model and invest in new equipment.

The City Council would have to give its green light to the proposal to get it rolling.