A caravan of yellow cabs left the city for Albany Tuesday morning to protest a proposed one-dollar surcharge on taxi rides as part of a Metropolitan Transportation Authority bailout plan.

Drivers and advocates gathered in Manhattan in the morning before heading up to the state Capitol.

The proposed $1 surcharge on all yellow taxi rides has been floated as a way to help bail out the MTA, while also providing funding for upstate roads and bridges.

Drivers say the surcharge would divert money from struggling drivers to far away parts of the state. They say it will lead to smaller tips from cash-strapped New Yorkers.

Demonstrators also gathered in Albany to stand for gay marriage in New York State, two years after the State Assembly passed such a measure.

"I don't spend one lying awake thinking that we're not going to win this year, because I am convinced that we have surpassed lots of challenges and there is votes there," said advocate Alan Van Capelle of Empire State Pride Agenda.

Governor David Paterson and some State Assembly members addressed the gathered hundreds of advocates before the rally.

"One concept that is misunderstood in the world today is the tremendous struggle and the tremendous discipline and the amount of time it makes to affect social change," said Paterson to a standing ovation. "And that change is not preceded by victories, it is preceded by struggle. Sometimes it takes a disciplined effort and some losses to get to a victory."

Paterson acknowledged that both legislative goals will be hard to accomplish.

"Obviously we are still trying to get a deal on the MTA and we would like to pass marriage equality along with a lot of other legislation. It's a difficult process," said the governor.

A bailout plan including the surcharge was previously approved by the State Senate's Transportation Committee, but the taxi fee drew criticism.

"The MTA was in a mess from Republican rule, but at this point, you know, we're hoping that the Republicans recognize that this is not a political issue. They need to vote on this thing," said State Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith.

But Republicans have literally been shut out, like at a Democrat-only MTA meeting held earlier this week.

Urging bipartisanship, Mayor Michael Bloomberg waded in with a letter to top lawmakers, co-signed with leaders from labor and business and also lobbied for gay marriage.