Taxis For All Campaign News Blog

Washington, D.C. news release: City funds 21 accessible cabs

noreply@blogger.com (Joseph G. Rappaport) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 01:38:00 +0000

GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Office of Disabilities

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 19, 2008

ACCESSIBLE TAXICABS WILL BE AVAILABLE
TO WHEELCHAIR USERS FOR FIRST TIME

Three Companies Receiving Funding to Provide
21 Wheelchair Accessible Taxis in the District

The National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board (TPB) approved funding to bring wheelchair accessible taxicabs to the District of Columbia for the first time. The approval of funding is based on the collaborative efforts and support from the DC Taxicab Commission and the DC Office of Disability Rights.

Presently, wheelchair users cannot rely on the 5,700 taxis available in the District, because none have accessibility features, such as ramps or lifts, to allow passengers into the vehicles. With the new funding, three taxicab companies will provide a total of 21 wheelchair accessible taxicabs. <>

According to Eve Hill, Director of the DC Office of Disability Rights, "Residents and visitors in the District have been asking for wheelchair accessible taxicabs and now we will be able to meet that need. In a city that relies heavily on taxi service, these taxis will mean greater freedom for people with disabilities."

Purchasing of these vehicles is made possible under the New Freedom programs of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). TPB will provide approximately $1 million in federal funding, matched by nearly $200,000 in funding from the DC Taxicab Commission. Taxi companies of Yellow Cab of DC, Liberty Cab, and the Mohebbi Group will provide 7 accessible taxicabs each. A proposed centralized dispatch system will also be funded allowing passengers needing a wheelchair accessible cab to call one number and the closest available cab will be dispatched.

"Providing accessible taxi service to the citizens of the District of Columbia and its visitors is one of our top priorities," expressed Leon J. Swain, Jr., Chairperson of the DC Taxicab Commission, Chairperson. Mr. Swain commended the actions of TPB as being "a real victory for DC. and the entire region".

NY Post: Fleets Still Fighting Hybrid Cab Mandate

noreply@blogger.com (Joseph G. Rappaport) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 01:23:00 +0000

HYBRID-CAB DEADLINE HAS FLEETS FUMING
By SALLY GOLDENBERG

June 30, 2008

The greening of yellow taxis has many fleet owners seeing red - for fear of not being able to meet City Hall's Oct. 1 deadline for registering only hybrid cars as cabs.

With fleets required to replace all their taxis every three years on a staggered basis and individuals ordered to replace theirs every five years, the mandate would not affect all cabs at once. Still, 2,000 to 2,500 of the city's 13,227 yellow cabs will come due in October.

Meanwhile, owners cite a shortage of hybrids and argue that they're also not as safe as the standard, heavy Crown Victorias.

Ronald Sherman, a fleet owner and president of the Metropolitan Taxicab Board of Trade, said major hybrid providers Ford and Toyota can sell only a fifth of the number required to meet the directive.

"Clearly, there will not be enough to sustain this mandate," Sherman said. "The numbers simply don't add up."

In a letter to Matthew Daus, chairman of the city Taxi and Limousine Commission, he asked that the city push back the deadline due to a "nationwide hybrid car and parts availability crisis."

"Crown Victorias are 5-star, across-the-board crash-rated vehicles that withstand severe accidents," he wrote.

The city has an additional 10,000 black cabs that will be subject to the same standards starting in January.

The hybrids Mayor Bloomberg is pushing as part of his broader environmental agenda get 25 miles to the gallon - and would save drivers about $5,000 a year in gas.

"On availability, it is true that hybrid sales nationwide have increased by over 45 percent over the last year," said Jeff Kay, director of Bloomberg's office of operations. "But we have been having discussions with the major auto manufacturers to ensure that availability will not be a problem."

Kay added that a safety expert approved the Ford Escape after a recent City Council Transportation Committee hearing. Sherman testified at that hearing against the Escape's durability.

Washington, D.C. news release: City funds 21 accessible cabs

noreply@blogger.com (Joseph G. Rappaport) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 22:04:00 +0000

GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Office of Disabilities

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 19, 2008

ACCESSIBLE TAXICABS WILL BE AVAILABLE

TO WHEELCHAIR USERS FOR FIRST TIME

Three Companies Receiving Funding to Provide 21 Wheelchair Accessible Taxis in the District

The National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board (TPB) approved funding to bring wheelchair accessible taxicabs to the District of Columbia for the first time. The approval of funding is based on the collaborative efforts and support from the DC Taxicab Commission and the DC Office of Disability Rights.<span class="fullpost">

Presently, wheelchair users cannot rely on the 5,700 taxis available in the District, because none have accessibility features, such as ramps or lifts, to allow passengers into the vehicles. With the new funding, three taxicab companies will provide a total of 21 wheelchair accessible taxicabs.

According to Eve Hill, Director of the DC Office of Disability Rights, "Residents and visitors in the District have been asking for wheelchair accessible taxicabs and now we will be able to meet that need. In a city that relies heavily on taxi service, these taxis will mean greater freedom for people with disabilities."

Purchasing of these vehicles is made possible under the New Freedom programs of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). TPB will provide approximately $1 million in federal funding, matched by nearly $200,000 in funding from the DC Taxicab Commission. Taxi companies of Yellow Cab of DC, Liberty Cab, and the Mohebbi Group will provide 7 accessible taxicabs each. A proposed centralized dispatch system will also be funded allowing passengers needing a wheelchair accessible cab to call one number and the closest available cab will be dispatched.

"Providing accessible taxi service to the citizens of the District of Columbia and its visitors is one of our top priorities," expressed Leon J. Swain, Jr., Chairperson of the DC Taxicab Commission, Chairperson. Mr. Swain commended the actions of TPB as being "a real victory for DC. and the entire region".

Testimony of Taxis For ALL Campaign ally Assembly Member Kellner

noreply@blogger.com (Webmaster) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 17:55:00 +0000

Testimony Before the New York City Council Committee on Transportation Hearing on Clean Air Taxis
Tuesday, June 3, 2008

My name is Micah Z. Kellner and I represent the 65th Assembly District in Manhattan, including parts of the Upper Ease Side, Yorkville, and Roosevelt Island. Thank you to Chairman Liu and Council Speaker Christine Quinn for the opportunity to testify today.

I strongly support the goal of making New York City's taxi fleet greener. Given the realities of global climate change and the clear links between auto emissions and asthma, lung disease, and other serious threats to public health, there is no question that we should be taking steps to mitigat ethe environmental impact of taxi traffic in New York. But it is critical that we go about this in the right way, and for the right reasons. Unfortunately, it has become apparent to me that, in the name of a worthy goal, the Taxi and Limousine Commission is using flawed metrics and a rushed timetable to provide a public relations victory for the outgoing mayoral administration - even if it means sacrificing other important priorites in the process.

The TLC's deadline of October 1, 2008, for achieving the 25 miles-per-gallon standard is simply not realistic. Vehicle manufacturers and the vast majority of the taxi industry have made this clear: there will not be enough vehicles available. The production of hybrid vehicles cannot currently meet demand and there are not enough parts to make more vehicles to meet the TLC's deadline. Yet the TLC insists on maintaining the deadline regardless of this information. In doing so it is pursuing an arbitrary timeline based on a single metric, miles per gallon, and risks sacrificing the broader interests of taxi riders.

As you are aware, I have been urging the TLC to move toward a taxi fleet that is fully accessible for riders with disabilities. In a New York Post op-ed last December, I noted the serious shortcomings of the taxi models that currently qualify for "wheelchair" medallions, and called on the TLC to approve new models that are genuinely safe and accessible. As it stands, all three vehicles that qualify for "wheelchair" medallions - two versions of the Chevrolet Uplander and one of the Dodge Caravan - are side-loading, which means that most motorized wheelchairs do no fit into the passenger section, and wheelchairs that do fit cannot be properly secured.

The industry has long argued that better models were not available, but this situation has changed and the industry is genuinely excited about the prospect of developing taxis that are both environmentally friendly and fully accessible - but only if there is adequate time allowed to do so.

There is absolutely no reason why there should be any conflict between developing clean air taxis and taxis that are fully accessible. Indeed, we have a unique opportunity to achieve both goals at the same time. But by rushing the process, the TLC is inexcusably pitting people with disabilities against the environment and public health concerns.

The TLC has put the cart before the horse, developing regulations before properly assessing what might be possible for the next generation of taxis. The first priority should have been the development of the Taxi of Tomorrow, not the arbitrary imposition of a standard based on a single metric, on an industry that cannot possibly meet that standard in this economic climate with so few hybrid vehicles and replacement parts available. Fuel efficiency is an important factr, but it is not the only one.

This is all the more ironic because the TLC's own "Taxi of Tomorrow" initiative has stimulated manufacturers to find solutions that combine clean air goals with accessibility. For instance, Ford's Transit Connect, a vehicle that has been operating in Europe as a taxi for years, would be fully wheelchair accessible, twice as fuel efficient as the Crown Victoria, and have ultra-clean tailpipe emissions. Ford anticipates mass productions and roll out the Transit Connect in September 2009, nine months after the TLC's deadline. But by pushing medallion owners to invest in new vehicles this fall - for the sake of meeting an arbitrary October 1 deadline - the TLC is undermining its own efforts to encourage owners to adopt more promising vehicles that will be available within the next year or two.

The TLC should slow down. Nobody is asking for a prolonged delay in implementing stronger fuel efficiency standards. We are only asking the Commission take the time to ensure that improved fuel efficiency in the short term does not come at the expense of the opportunity to solve other problems with the taxi fleet.

Unfortunately, the TLC's timetable suggests that political imperatives are taking precedence over the needs of taxi riders and the general public. I cannot help but think that, in rushing toward an unrealistic but public relations-friendly fuel efficiency goal, the Commission is more intent on providing the Mayor with a legacy project than on taking the opportunity to develop a genuinely well-rounded taxi. Ironically, if the TLC would simply postpone the deadline until the Fall of 2009, when accessible purpose-built taxis start coming off the production line, the Mayor would have a more complete legacy of providing public vehicles that are both environmentally friendly and accessible. From a publicity standpoint, accessible taxis may not be as attractive as green taxis - but they are no less important.

Again, there is no reason for these two goals to be in conflict. Our taxis should be accessible and green. Rather than sacrifice everything else for the sake of meeting a miles-per-gallon standard, we should be working on a complete solution to developing the taxi of tomorrow. But this means operating on a reality-based timetable, not a political timetable.

I urge the TLC to reconsider the October 1 deadline. We must not squander the progress that has been made by the Taxi of Tomorrow initiative. The ultimate goal is within reach: taxis for all, both accessible and environmentally friendly. It is critical that we take advantage of the opportunity, rather than letting it slip away in the name of political expediency.

Thank you again for the opportunity to testify today.

834 Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12248
518-455-5676
FAX 518-455-5282

315 East 65th Street
New York, NY 10065
212-860-4906
FAX 917-432-2983

E-mail: KellnerM @ assembly.state.ny.us

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June 3, 2008 Testimony by Jean Ryan at City Council transportation committee oversight hearing

noreply@blogger.com (Webmaster) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 21:52:00 +0000

Jean Ryan, Taxis For ALL Campaign's vice-chair, testified at a City Council transportation committee oversight hearing, "Clean Air Taxis: How Realistic Are the City's Miles Per Gallon Mandate?" on June 3, 2008. Here's a transcript of her testimony:

I am Jean Ryan, a VP of Disabled In Action and Vice-Chair of Taxis for ALL Campaign. The Taxis for ALL Campaign is a coalition of groups and individuals devoted to promoting taxis and for-hire services that are fully accessible to people with disabilities in New York City. We are by far the broadest-based, longest-established and most knowledgeable group in the City on this topic.

We are pleased that the City is taking steps to promote manufacture of a new "iconic taxi," which we hope will meet the goals of being less polluting, more comfortable for passengers and drivers, and accessible to passengers with disabilities. We are also pleased that the City has passed a regulation requiring black cars to have better gas mileage. However, without also mandating accessibility at the same time, the City is doing the thousands and thousands of City residents and tourists and businesspeople in our city a disservice.

We love clean air. Who doesn't? Many people with disabilities already have breathing problems. We care about the air we breather and we care about the environment and about the depletion of natural resources. But we also need to get places. But if vehicles can be developed that are cleaner, the can also be developed and are being developed as we speak that are also accessible, too! Why not mandate both? Green and accessible – Perfect together.

When Sam Sullivan, the mayor of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, recently came to New York City on a fact-finding trip, he had a horrible experience because he uses a wheelchair. He talked about it on his radio show and his blog and we have it on our website, www.taxisforall.org. He said, and I quote: "It was very difficult arriving at the airport. There were no wheelchair accessible taxis available. I had to be carried into a van by four people and my wheelchair had to be manhandled into a van as well, only to get into Manhattan to get to my hotel." He was lucky he got there. Many people can't get where they want to go because we don't have accessible taxis and car services to speak of in this City.

Up to now, the TLC, the Mayor, and the City Council seem to have lacked the will to do anything meaningful about it. We don't need anything special and separate! We need something universal that everyone can use!

As it stands now, the iconic taxi RFI does not require accessibility at all according to ADA standards! For example, the ADA height specifications for the passenger door opening are 56 inches and the passenger area is 56 inches, and there are requirements for a wheelchair restraint system and a ramp. The RFI's Vehicle Technical Specifications do not include any of these requirements and only specify that the doorframe has to be 38 inches high (VTS 2.8.6). No one in a wheelchair could get into a doorframe that low.

Furthermore, the Vehicle Technical Specifications 2.8.6 permit the passenger doorsill to be 13-16 inches above the ground, and that is far too high for many people with mobility disabilities.

Additionally, there is no provision in the Vehicle Technical Specifications for audio output for the meter or other technology for the benefit of people who are visually impaired, (VTS 2.4.1) or for any accommodation for people with hearing impairments such as an induction "loop" to help people with hearing aids to understand the driver-passenger intercom or audio systems, (VTS 2.10.18 and 2.10.21).

Despite our numerous requests, the iconic taxi committee which drew up the RFI refused to include anyone from the Taxis for ALL Campaign. Why not? Why don't they want to make the iconic taxi accessible? Or was this a huge oversight? We wouldn't know. We weren't on the committee and couldn't have input.

As it stands now, people who use wheelchairs and have major mobility problems in this City and who need accessible taxis cannot reliably get them. We cannot get accessible car services because they hardly exist. We usually have to call days in advance and pay exorbitant rates by credit card. For car service! Last year when my wheelchair wheel broke, I was going to gave to pay 45 dollars and wait 2 hours to go 7 blocks instead of waiting 10 minutes and paying 5 dollars if I were ambulatory. Is that equivalent service like the regulations call for? The TLC knows what is happening and does nothing about it.

In short, we care about clean air and we also want accessibility. To have vehicles with both will benefit everyone. It will mean that people will be able to transport their children in strollers easily. They will be able to haul their bulky packages easily and bring their suitcases and golf clubs into the car with them instead of putting them in the trunk, if they want to. It will mean that they will have room to transport their pets. They will have leg room if they are tall.

We encourage the City Council to think about the aging population in this City, to think about the rising costs of Access-A-Ride, to think about the tourist business and how the lack of accessible taxis and car services is hurting this City, is making life very stressful and costly in many ways, driving up Medicaid costs and Access-A-Ride costs because people can't get an accessible car services or taxis. We encourage the City Council to require all taxis to be green and accessible.

Respectfully submitted,

Jean Ryan, Vice Chair, Taxis for ALL Campaign
VP Public Affairs, Disabled In Action

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Group urges TLC: Don’t miss historic opportunity – Mandate wheelchair-accessible taxis to accompany shift to "green" vehicles

noreply@blogger.com (Webmaster) — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 12:12:00 +0000

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PDF printer-friendly version of Anne Davis letter to the TLC concerning the "iconic taxi"
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The Taxis For All Campaign urged Mayor Bloomberg and the Taxi & Limousine Commission to mandate a transition to wheelchair-accessible taxis and other for-hire taxis, similar to the forward thinking that made higher mileage vehicles a requirement.

The Taxis For All Campaign – which is made up of the largest disability organizations in New York City – has called for a gradual adoption of accessible vehicles, particularly in the yellow-taxi fleet, and more accessible service in the livery and black car industries.

"We support greener, less-polluting vehicles – who wouldn't? – but wonder why the city would mandate this innovation and reject another," said Anne Davis, the group's chair and a representative of the New York City Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Holding signs reading "Green + accessible cabs: Perfect TOGETHER" and "We like green cabs – We'd LOVE it if we could ride in them!" at the TLC's April 17th meeting, the group urged commissioners to heed the interests of all New Yorkers, including the tens of thousands who cannot use for-hire cars because they are not designed to accommodate wheelchair users.

At the meeting, the TLC was expected to vote to require black cars to meet higher gas mileage standards starting in 2009. It approved a similar mandate for yellow taxis last year. Taxi fleet owners say it will take technological innovation to meet the TLC's miles-per-gallon requirements and that the ideal vehicle is not yet available – the same objection they and the TLC have been requiring wheelchair-accessible taxis. However, accessible taxis are now widely used across the U.S. and one company, Standard Taxi, is developing a new, factory-built accessible taxi.

The Taxis For All also released a letter to TLC Chairman Matthew Daus, urging him to include a representative from its group on the Iconic Taxi project.

"Unfortunately, the RFI does not declare that accessibility to people with disabilities, including those who use wheelchairs, is a bedrock requirement for a successful iconic taxi design... On the other hand, the City has taken the position that high gas mileage is a bedrock requirement for most future yellow cabs,and it is about to do the same with respect to black cars."

"By choosing to move forward with one innovation rather than both at the same time, the City is missing an historical opportunity to transform the taxi fleet," said Edith Prentiss of the 504 Democratic Club. "It's clear that if it's possible to produce a green taxi, you also can produce a green and accessible taxi." Currently, only about one percent of the city's more than 13,000 yellow cabs are accessible; very few livery or black cars are accessible.

City: For-hire vehicle complaints resolved more quickly

noreply@blogger.com (Joseph G. Rappaport) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 22:01:00 +0000

Mayor Bloomberg released the Preliminary Mayor's Management Report (PMMR) for Fiscal Year 2008. According to PR Newswire:

"Taxi complaints are handled more efficiently: The average time to close a consumer complaint about for-hire vehicles dropped to less than 28 days, 61% better than last year's four-month period and 41% better than the year-end average. During FY 2007, the Taxi and Limousine Commission changed how it handles these complaints and also improved its tracking methods, resulting in a more streamlined and efficient process."

TLC approves FMI pilot

noreply@blogger.com (Joseph G. Rappaport) — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 18:22:00 +0000

Alexander Wood reports:

My take on the new pilot by Freedom Mobility Inc (FMI) -- which, incidentally, passed unanimously, is that competition is good.

There was a lot of talk about re-opening the RFI that Autovan responded to last year again, 6 months into Autovan's pilot, while all reports are that Autovan's vehicles are on the road and performing well, but, according to Peter Shenkman the TLC is awaiting additional data before evaluating the project and making recommendations re: rulemaking. But isn't competition a good thing?

If there is more than one retrofitter out there who can put accessible taxis on the road, then there will be more accessible vehicles on the road quicker, right? And presumably, that will keep the conversion prices competitive, as the companies strive to provide better service at lower cost...

FMI presented impressive testimony about providing accessible vehicles in the Houston and San Francisco markets (claiming that Houston has just ordered an additional 94 accessible taxis, making it the largest accessible fleet on the road in the US today... Not sure how many accessible cabs are on the road in Houston already with Greater Houston Transportation).

Evidently FMI was the original converter of the rear-entry Toyota Sienna, and has been doing such conversions for 20 years. There is a legal action between Autovan and FMI because folks at Autovan may have taken proprietary info about the conversion techniques of FMI to their new company when they were hired away (but all this was a bit mysterious, as the guy from FMI would not discuss the legal matter, so whatever came out was hearsay spilled by Daus, Salkin, Shenkman, and Gianoulis...

There is a medallion sale projected for some time in May. TLC is hoping to have updated rules by then, as Autovan is near supplying the data that shows what the pilot has demonstrated...

In the end, though, in my opinion, the TLC is acting in good faith letting FMI in the door. They have not rejected Autovan, and so far, the word has been positive about the accessible Siennas on the street, which is more than anyone can say for the Uplanders and Dodge Caravans on the road. Beresford Simmons (an owner/operator of accessible taxis) has had negative experiences with both vehicles, and says his accessible taxis have cost him tens of thousands in additional maintenance, and yet he continues to field those vehicles, and seems strangely happy to do so.

I left the hearing when Deborah Marton started her Design Trust spiel, as I have heard it many times, and sat through the entire hearing last week...

Daus acknowledged Michael Harris and Micah Kellner, and offered Micah an opportunity to speak, which the Assembly Member declined.

I do not see any reason to object to FMI entering the mix. But, of course, I could be wrong. There was a lot of negative feeling about their being allowed to enter the game at this late stage. One commissioner asked if a third company came forward if the whole process would be reopened? The concensus seemed to be that whatever gets more accessible vehicles on the road should be pursued. I like that concept, I admit.

TLC’s new accessible-taxi symbol

noreply@blogger.com (Webmaster) — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 17:06:00 +0000

Last week, the TLC revealed its new accessible taxi symbol (shown above with new "green" taxi symbol), which appears to have been designed without any input from wheelchair users. The reviews so far (from e-mails to the TFAC group):

Edith Prentiss: "As of February 1, the TLC changed the wheelchair symbol. This is a total joke. I think it looks like a Cirque du Soleil hoop dancer. [Council Member] John Liu was far from impressed."

Jean Ryan: "I could never see that symbol in a million years unless I was already getting into the cab. It's too small. But from a distance? Get real. What's wrong with something bigger and with using the standard universal wheelchair symbol? Why get fancy? (Because they haven't got the cars and medallions or the will to get more, so they have to play with the little symbols!)"

Your opinion?

Edith Prentiss: Testimony on behalf of DIA before City Council

noreply@blogger.com (Joseph G. Rappaport) — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 21:27:00 +0000

Edith Prentiss: Testimony on behalf of DIA before City Council

Testimony to the City Council's Transportation Committee
Oversight: Oversight - The Taxi of the Future: A Review of the Design Trust for Public Space's Taxi Plan

February 7, 2008

I am Edith Prentiss, the Vice President of Legislative Affairs of Disabled in Action of Metropolitan New York, the President of the 504 Democratic Club and a member of the Taxis For All Campaign.

I would like to thank the Committee and especially the Chair, Council Member John Liu, for the opportunity to address the Committee on the Design Trust for Public Space's Taxi Plan. I must also thank former Council Member Margarita Lopez and its sponsors for Intro 84, as well as Council Member Oliver Koppel and its sponsors for Intro 378. I believe they who will be remembered in NYC's disability community's history as leaders when NYC's taxi fleet is finally accessible. This plan does not move us any closer to that goal.

I hope after hearing us testify for years, you all know, we believe, accessible taxis are a basic civil right. The lack of accessible vehicles adds to the huge under and unemployment rate for PWDS. The lack of equivalent transportation options impedes our ability to run from place to place and meeting to meeting like every other New Yorker. Having to utilize buses, due to the inadequacy of accessible subway service, and the problems of Access-A-Ride puts mobility impaired New Yorkers and visitors at an extreme disadvantage.

Now I have to admit the Taxi '07 Road Forward was interesting and pretty with its beauty shots of cabs and quotes from 500-plus New Yorker who completed the Design Trust's online survey. Of course, in the appendix we learn "some respondents with disabilities reported difficulty accessing the survey, perhaps limiting their response"

In the Design Trust's intro Deborah Marton stated that the stakeholders who were interviewed and who peer reviewed the document included "accessibility organizations". We assume by that they mean that their sole responsibility to include the disability community was met by interviewing Jean Ryan of DIA and Terry Moakley of United Spinal's Taxi for All North America who are both members of the Taxis For All Campaign.

But unlike other stakeholders, we were not invited to peer review the document. In the TLC's intro., Matt Daus stated "progress is a "two-way street"involving the "give and take" of all identifiable stakeholders" I certainly feel as a wheelchair user we not even part of the discussion.

Commissioner Daus further stated that the TLC is no longer referring to the project as the "Taxicab of the Future"but rather as the "Taxicab of Tomorrow." I guess wheelchair using PWD are neither part of the future or tomorrow as we continue to be left on the side walk." The plans includes the following which has me shaking my head asking so?

"Hailing a cab, with its promise of freedom, power, and anonymity, is the quintessential New York City act. Stick an arm in the air, and a taxi will take you where you want to go at any time of day or night. ...The system also includes the streets and sidewalks that taxis and passengers rely on and that every New Yorker maintains with tax dollars.

This civic investment in taxi infrastructure, buttressed by laws that oblige taxis to service anyone who hails them, point to an important fact: taxis are an extension of New York City's public space.

The Design Trust for Public Space and the TLC have collaborated to develop these principles as a foundation for the TLC's future goals: 1. taxi system should offer taxi services that are safe, comfortable, and easy to use for all passengers and drivers; 2. provide a good economic value to passengers and service providers; 3. efficiently match the supply of taxi services with passenger demand; & 4. Contribute to the environmental sustain-ability of the city. "

Although the plan for or five times touches on wheelchair uses and once on "riders with visual disabilities" it fails to mention the piloted assistive listening systems (loops that transmit amplified sound into hearing aids) taxis. Also neglected are closed captioning on monitors as well as any adaptive technology for the fare machine.

The plan further fails to address the inadequate marking denoting an accessible taxi. Until February 1st, there were blue/white and one black/white wheelchair and the green/white ear symbol. The new wheelchair symbol looks like a Cirque du Soliel hoop dancer. I challenge any of you to actually hail an accessible or looped taxi first find one lit up then look at the panel over the rear wheel and fight off other taxi seekers. (See http://www.nyc.gov/html/tlc/html/home/home.shtml)

A true example of the plan's lack of consideration and inclusion is in the index. Wheelchair is cross-referenced to accessibility which is defined as:

"a broad term that can include both availability and physical access and user comfort. How enjoyable a cab ride is depends in part on sufficient accessibility, but also on more intangible qualities, such as intuitive ease of use and pleasure provided by good design." Good design does that include the total lack of leg room in the hybrids?

"The necessary level of vehicle accessibility is a matter of some debate: Manufacturers advocate a solution that addresses the majority of people with disabilities who have sufficient mobility to transfer to a lowered car seat (approximately 60 to 70 percent) rather than the minority who require fully wheelchair-accessible transportation."

The plan fails to recognize that many PWDs can transfer to a "lowered seat" but that our chairs can't be folded and stowed in a trunk.

"The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 requires all transportation services to provide equivalent service for persons with disabilities. However, the ADA defines accessibility requirements only for vans and buses, not for passenger sedans. In New York City s case, this lack of Federal standards essentially exempts yellow cabs from accessibility standards." But in the soon-to-be-post Crown Vic era, what sedans will we have left? Then won't the ADA kick in?

The Taxis For All Campaign questions the will and intent of the Mayor and the TLC. If the Mayor can mandate green why can't he mandate accessibility? If the TLC were truly interested in providing transportation to all, why has it failed even at enforcing the For Hire Vehicle Regulation?

Whether this is the Taxi or the Future or Tomorrow, the design demonstrates all the more as to why we need Intro 378 to be enacted. The Design Trust's plan totally ignores the transportation needs of the disability community citing a longer time line. While it proposes using taxis to replace lowly utilized bus routes. Excuse me, but in the out lying and distant reaches of New York City, it is unlikely that there are subway much less accessible subways. Now they propose using inaccessible taxis to replace under utilized buses.

I'll remember that the next time I'm wheeling home from 220th to 186th St (from the Allen Pavilion's) ER at 3 AM in upper Manhattan when bus service is greatly curtailed.

WNYC: City Asking Automakers for "Car of the Future"

noreply@blogger.com (Joseph G. Rappaport) — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 02:45:00 +0000

by Kathleen Horan

The city is asking automakers to come up with designs for a cab for the future.

REPORTER: It would be one that will burn alternative fuels, and will be wheelchair-accessible. Taxi and Limousine Commissioner Matthew Daus.

DAUS: Big on the inside and small on the outside - one that looks good that's durable - people will look at it and they'll say that's great - it really belongs here.

REPORTER: Daus says the TLC is working with auto manufacturers to design and produce a vehicle specially made to be used as a taxi. The TLC plans to send out requests to auto makers next week. The City Council's Transportation Committee is looking into the recommendations made by the TLC and the Design For Public Trust that made suggestions about how to spruce up cabs.

Taxi probe: Cabbies staying off cell phones

noreply@blogger.com (Joseph G. Rappaport) — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 21:15:00 +0000

AP story

Undercover inspectors are finding cabbies largely play by New York City's rules when it comes to cell phones.

Inspectors and police officers have taken more than 1,200 rides disguised as everyday passengers since "Operation: Secret Rider" began Jan. 23. Taxi & Limousine Commission officials said Wednesday that fewer than 100 summonses for cell-phone use have been issued so far.

TLC Chairman Matthew Daus says that's encouraging, but the initiative will continue.

The undercover agents look for drivers talking on cell phones while the cab is moving, refusing to accept credit cards or otherwise violating regulations.

Representatives of the Taxi Workers Alliance, an advocacy group, call the program sneaky and disrespectful to drivers.

The Sun: Commission could have $1 congestion fee on cabs

noreply@blogger.com (Joseph G. Rappaport) — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 00:12:00 +0000

Taxi Prices May Rise With Congestion Pricing

By JARED IRMAS
Special to the Sun
January 10, 2008

Hailing a cab in the city's proposed congestion zone could add a dollar to the fare if a state commission's recommendation is sent to Albany and the City Council for approval.

The Congestion Mitigation Commission is set to recommend today four scenarios for the implementation of the mayor's congestion pricing plan, which would charge drivers about $8 to enter and drive in most of Manhattan during peak hours.

One scenario would charge taxi passengers $1 for trips that originate below 60th Street.

"Taxis relieve stress on the subway and bus system," Michael Wolos, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Taxi Board of Trade, an industry trade group representing a quarter of the city's medallion fleets, said. "It should be recognized that people using taxicabs are using city streets efficiently. They shouldn't be punished for it."

A spokesman for Mayor Bloomberg, John Gallagher, wrote in an e-mail message last night that the commission "has done a thorough job of evaluating options and has put forth proposals that should be considered on the merits. It's important that the proposal ultimately recommended by the Commission meets the combined objectives of reducing congestion and providing funds for much needed mass transit improvements."

Other scenarios include scrapping congestion pricing in favor of tolls on the East and Harlem River bridges, and restricting vehicular travel based on the last digit of a car's license plate number.

Several transit advocates declined to comment last night. The Empire State Transit Alliance, a consortium of civic, environmental, and commuter groups, will release its own recommendations once the commission presents their report today.

The commission will send its final recommendation to the mayor's office on January 31. Any plan must be approved by the state Legislature, the governor, and the City Council.

Post: MetroCard swipe in fare of the future

noreply@blogger.com (Joseph G. Rappaport) — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 16:01:00 +0000

By Patrick Galluhue, Transit Reporter
December 19, 2007

The taxi of the future could accept MetroCards.

The Taxi and Limousine Commission is thinking about creating a kind of unlimited card for cabbies - which is just one of a long list of recommendations put forth in a taxi-industry study, TLC officials announced yesterday.

Commission Chairman Matthew Daus announced the completion of the two-year, $150,000 report by the Design Trust for Public Space, which is being contemplated as a potential roadmap to the future for the taxi industry.

"It lays the groundwork for a new generation of taxis and an improved taxi system that we will all enjoy soon," said Deborah Marton, the executive director of Design Trust. "The TLC can continue the momentum forward armed with the most comprehensive taxi-system analysis and set of recommendations ever set anywhere."

Some of the study's recommendations are already in the works, including gas-efficient vehicles, global-positioning systems and touch-screen video technology.

But others would be brand new to New York.

In addition to looking at "fare integration" with buses and subways - possibly using the tap-and-go smart-cards currently being tested by the MTA - the report suggests exploring "ride-share fares" for people going the same way.

But the report also adds that past ride-share trials have not met with much success in other cities or in New York.

The 159-page study also presents a list of alternatives to taxi medallions.

"In London, cabbies have to pass the famous 'knowledge test' of the city's downtown streets, requiring two years of intensive study," the report states.
"This examination, rather than any numerical limit, provides a formidable barrier to entering the taxi market."

City Limits: Whether Hybrid or Guzzler, Taxis Still Not Accessible, July 30, 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Webmaster) — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 00:05:00 +0000

City Limits WEEKLY
Week of: July 30, 2007
Number: 598

WHETHER HYBRID OR GUZZLER,
TAXIS STILL NOT ACCESSIBLE

Within five years, the city plans to renew the entire taxi fleet to make it less polluting - but not more handicapped-accessible. By Heather Appel

Alexander Wood recently saw something in Union Square that was, to him, as rare as a unicorn. It was an accessible taxicab that Wood was able to board in his wheelchair something he'd never done in his years living here.

For Wood, who heads the Disabilities Network of New York City, the 81 accessible taxicabs currently on the road and the additional 150 expected in the next year are good news. After all, in 2004 there were only five such vehicles operating. But he considers a total of 230 accessible vehicles, out of some 13,000 yellow taxicabs, insufficient to serve the estimated 65,000 people who use wheelchairs in New York City.

When Mayor Bloomberg announced plans this May to convert the entire taxi fleet to hybrid gas-electric vehicles by 2012, some disability advocates were stunned that none of those hybrid vehicles are required to be wheelchair accessible. Most agree that saving 22 million gallons of fuel and reducing carbon emissions by 215,000 tons, according to administration figures, is a good thing but they wonder why such a massive transition wouldn't take advantage of the opportunity to address a longstanding complaint of people with disabilities.

"The thing is, this is a solve-able problem," says Joe Rappaport, an advocate with the Taxis for All Campaign, a coalition that has been fighting for more accessible taxis since 1994. "It should fit in with the Bloombergian view of the world, which is that there are technological means of making progress."

But the administration has raised objections over the cost and aesthetics of potential accessible vehicles that could meet the needs of disabled riders, he said.

In fact, the hybrid models under consideration by the Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC), made by Toyota, Honda and Ford, cannot be modified to include a wheelchair ramp. Regarding the absence of accessible cabs in the hybrid phase-in plan, Matt Sapolin, commissioner of the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities, said that regular, non-hybrid vehicles that are wheelchair-accessible would be allowed to stay in the taxi fleet after the transition.

In terms of adding more accessible vehicles to the fleet, administration officials say they are still searching for a solution that meets everyone's needs. There's nothing to prevent medallion owners from buying or retrofitting accessible vehicles, but TLC standards and regulations make it costly to do so.

"Our ultimate goal is to see the design and manufacture of a vehicle that satisfies the TLC's 'wish list' with such attributes as accessibility, clean fuel, pleasing aesthetics, iconic design, sturdiness," and more, said TLC Deputy Commissioner Allan Fromberg.

To maximize the use of the 230 accessible vehicles expected to be on the road by next year, the TLC favors a dispatch system that would allow callers to call 311 or another central number and request a car that can accommodate a wheelchair or scooter. That's a contentious proposal among disability activists. Some think it's the only reasonable solution right now, because there are such limited options even though wait times can take up to an hour. Members of the Taxis for All Campaign, on the other hand, are wary, arguing that a dispatch solution lets the administration off the hook on the long-term goal of getting more accessible vehicles on the road, and eventually converting the entire fleet to universally-accessible vehicles.

For a commuter like Edith Prentiss, who lives in Washington Heights and uses an electric wheelchair, the dispatch system offers little progress. "If I had an hour to wait for a taxi to turn up, why would I be bothering?" she said. "I might as well take the bus." Prentiss believes these transportation obstacles contribute to the "horrendous unemployment rate" among people with disabilities, over 30 percent nationwide.

Resistance to accessible taxicabs sounds familiar to those who fought to make public buses accessible in the 1970s and 1980s - and they're now a vital transit link. Some officials argue that not enough people with disabilities ride taxis to make it worthwhile. And, by now, disabled riders know they have to depend on other modes of transportation.

Users find those other options leave something to be desired, however. There are about 54 accessible MTA stations out of 468 subway stations citywide, and half of those are in Manhattan. Elevators are often out of service, and the MTA hotline updating their status can be inaccurate.

There's a car service called A Ride for All that people were optimistic about when it began in 2003, offering for-hire vans with wheelchair lifts. The service was popular at first but then became kind of a "subscription service" for people who could reserve for regular appointments. The cars are rarely available on short notice, and fares have increased to a minimum of $45 per ride.

Then there's Access-a-Ride, the city's transit system that provides vans for people with disabilities, which is often criticized for being slow, late, and difficult to use. With Access-a-Ride, riders must call well in advance and share rides with several others.

This leaves the majority of people with mobility disabilities taking the bus, which is slower than the subway and may require several transfers.

Despite some small gains, some say that the situation won't really improve unless New York City pressures the auto manufacturing industry to create a "purpose-built" i.e. custom-made vehicle that's fuel-efficient and accessible. A model of one such vehicle, the Standard Taxi, was displayed at the New York International Auto Show this March, earning rave reviews from disabled riders and elected officials who tested it.

At least one hack was impressed by it, too. "In my opinion, the best wheelchair car they had, the city turned it down," said taxi driver Beresford Simmons. He's familiar with current technology, because he acquired a discounted accessible medallion in 2005 and has been driving a minivan with a wheelchair ramp ever since.

Simmons said he picks up passengers with wheelchairs as often as he can, but that many more accessible cabs are needed. He worries that drivers who work for large fleets can't afford the time to do special pick-ups through a dispatch system like the one proposed. As an independent owner, he's able to set his own schedule and can work beyond the usual 12-hour shifts, he said.

One solution Simmons and others mentioned would be to provide incentives to drivers picking up disabled passengers. Another solution would be to put a better quality vehicle on the road that doesn't require as much assistance from the driver like the Standard Taxi.

Fromberg said nothing is on or off the table, but that the Standard Taxi is not yet being manufactured yet, so there's nothing to consider. News accounts say the company expects to start production in 2008.

~

Disability activists are pushing for a bill in City Council (Introduction 378), that would require accessible vehicles to be phased in over time as old cabs are retired. Despite one hearing in the transportation committee, and thousands of postcards in support mailed to City Hall, the bill doesn't appear destined for passage. "There's not enough support for an immediate mandate on the industry right now," said Councilman John Liu, chair of the transportation committee. "A universal mandate [for accessible vehicles] could double the cost of a taxi to $40,000 a year," he said.

An earlier Council bill, passed in December, required the TLC to present a plan and schedule within 180 days for increasing the numbers of green and accessible taxis. Those 180 days have passed, and the TLC has provided little information on increasing accessible yellow cabs, and no information at all on plans for "for-hire vehicles" livery cabs, black cars and limos.

Fromberg, of the TLC, said the city's Economic Development Corporation issued a request for proposals for a consultant who can design an "iconic" New York taxi that meets the needs of all riders. He said that the goal is to have a design for a purpose-built vehicle by next spring, but the TLC doesn't make any commitments or set any standards for accessible cars.

"Obviously, we are optimistic," said Fromberg, but "I could not commit to it as a guarantee."

In the meantime, the Disabilities Network of New York City, Easter Seals, the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities and other organizations are planning to hold forums on accessible taxis and for-hire vehicles in each borough in the next few months, which participants hope will lead to some long-term solutions.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which had its 17th anniversary on July 26, says that taxis cannot deny service to disabled riders who are capable of getting in and out of a cab, and it regulates the features of accessible taxis (a certain amount of space for wheelchairs, tie-downs, etc.), but it does not mandate that cabs be modified to be accessible.

People with disabilities say there's just not enough incentive right now for auto makers to produce the vehicles they need. Manufacturers would respond to a clear demand for accessible vehicles, just like they did in the past with safety glass, seatbelts and airbags, technologies they once insisted would be a hardship for the industry. And they say cost and durability concerns are overblown and that if the vehicles were bought in bulk, they would be affordable to medallion owners. Other cities have been able to provide more accessible cab service, such as Chicago, Montreal, Las Vegas and London, where the entire fleet is accessible to wheelchairs.

- Heather Appel

AP article on GPS plans

noreply@blogger.com (Joseph G. Rappaport) — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 03:45:00 +0000

The Taxis For All Campaign spoke out against these plans a year or so ago.

NYC Taxi Cabs Offer High-Tech Hardware

By JENNIFER PELTZ
The Associated Press
Sunday, May 13, 2007

NEW YORK -- To taxi officials, the touch-screen monitors popping up in cabs help passengers make the most of the 13 New York minutes spent on an average ride.

Passengers can pay by credit card _ no more fumbling for cash and tip. As a cab heads through Greenwich Village, for example, passengers can find ads and reviews for neighborhood bars and restaurants. They can also view news stories and an electronic map of their cab's progress.

The monitors are now in 200 city cabs as an experiment, but a plan to put them in all 13,000 cabs has angered many drivers. They see the technology as an expensive imposition that would cost them money and allow taxi owners and officials to check up on them.

The issue has a delicate history: A 2003 experiment with touch-screen television in taxis ended within months, amid passenger antipathy. And the drivers' group leading the opposition to the monitors notes that it carried out a crippling one-day taxi strike over other issues in 1998.

The Taxi and Limousine Commission is scheduled Thursday to consider an Oct. 1 deadline for all of the city's cabs to start installing the systems.

"This project is nothing short of revolutionary and evolutionary for the taxi industry," Taxi and Limousine Commissioner Matthew W. Daus wrote in a recent agency newsletter.

The commission called for the technology while approving a 26 percent fare increase in 2004, and the agency argues that both riders and drivers stand to benefit.

The credit-card option is expected to prove popular with customers in what is now a mostly cash, $1.8 billion-a-year business. Officials say it could translate to bigger tips and more fares from riders short on cash.

The global positioning system in the technology will also automate required record-keeping and give drivers crucial information about traffic or lost items. If a customer reports losing a wallet, for example, the taxi commission could send alerts to drivers in the neighborhood where the customer was dropped off to be on the lookout.

The commission has approved tests of four systems and may endorse them for sale within days. Taxi owners would choose from the four systems, at a maximum three-year cost of $7,200 for equipment and various fees, although commission officials expect the cost will be far less in many cases. Vendors say advertising can offset at least some of owners' costs.

Objecting drivers have raised concerns about the costs of the hardware, credit-card fees and potential working time lost if the systems need repair. Some worry that the global-positioning system will be used to track their movements, although the taxi commission says it will record only the pickup and drop-off points and fare, which drivers already are required to log.

"It's trampling on our constitutional rights, and it will cut deeply into our income," said Bill Lindauer, who drove a cab for 30 years and is a member of the organizing committee of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, a drivers' advocacy group with more than 7,000 members.

The alliance held a rally in March to protest the new systems, and Lindauer said this month that the group was exploring legal and political avenues for trying to block the plan.

But some drivers embrace the technology, which came free for those who offered their cabs as proving grounds.

Cesar Norena, a 17-year taxi driver testing a system made by Englewood, N.J.-based TaxiTech, says passengers have made liberal use of its features, and he believes the credit-card option will boost business.

"People really like it," he said, "and as a driver, I really like it, too."

A study in contradictions

noreply@blogger.com (Joseph G. Rappaport) — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 20:18:00 +0000

Linda Ostreicher writes:

Here's Mayor Bloomberg's position statements about accessible taxis a little over a year ago:

"I am proud to partner with the Council to increase the number of hybrid, alternative fuel and wheelchair accessible taxis," said Mayor Bloomberg. "All New Yorkers deserve access to our City's yellow cabs and increasing the number of hybrid and alternative fuel taxis means cleaner air and greater energy independence."

Not to mention the Council's:

"While we support the Mayor's call to make our City more environmentally-friendly, it's also important that taxi cabs are accessible to as many New Yorkers as possible," said Speaker Quinn. "...By adding 204 wheelchair accessible taxis this year, we are taking a step toward our ultimate goal of making every taxi in New York wheelchair accessible."

"We should do everything possible to give people who use wheelchairs and scooters the same ability to get around town as everyone else," said Councilmember Liu.

Note: This entry ends here.

Alexander rides a "unicorn"

noreply@blogger.com (Joseph G. Rappaport) — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 13:18:00 +0000

OK, Folks:

Tonight marks a personal milestone in my life: I rode in a wheelchair accessible taxi from Union Square. I was at the bus stop, stranded at the curb and feeling low because two buses had passed me for one reason or another (one's lift was broken, and the other had 2 wheelchair passengers already, so it was fully booked as far as I was concerned, as I use a wheelchair. I was about to call the MTA Complaint line (but of course, couldn't find the number), when I noticed a woman getting out of a taxi in the bus stop. The taxi had an access symbol on it, so I flagged it down. It was great. The driver had never driven a Chevy Uplander before, as he is only an occasional driver, but he figured out how to fold up the seat and deploy the ramp in 2 seconds flat. We had an uneventful and smooth ride to where I live down near Battery Park at the bottom of West Street. The meter was at $10. I was so excited I gave him a $5 tip.

Yippee! It's progress! But in the end, it's just one accessible taxi ride in the last 3.5 years in New York City! The last time I was in an accessible for-hire-vehicle was when I went to Christie's to pick up some chairs I bought at auction and I loaded them into an A RIDE FOR ALL van. I should say that I got yelled at by Les Jacobs, who did not like his car service being used as a moving van. Is that company still in business?

Anyway, it would be great if there were more accessible taxis on the road.

Does anyone else have a similar experience to report?

Let us know,
Alexander

A friend in City Hall...

noreply@blogger.com (Joseph G. Rappaport) — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 21:48:00 +0000

Here's the Daily News article about Mayor Bloomberg's "green fleet" proposal, which does not include a provision for wheelchair-accessible vehicles, along with his comment:

When The News asked Bloomberg about the criticism from the handicapped, the mayor dismissively replied, "I'm sure you have found somebody that isn't happy and we appreciate the efforts that you make."

Groovy eco trip
Bloomy says city cab fleet to be enviro-friendly by 2012

BY PETE DONOHUE and MICHAEL SAUL
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

Wednesday, May 23rd 2007

Mayor Bloomberg looks like he's in cruise control at press conference outside City Hall yesterday to tout proposed new hybrid vehicles for city cab fleet by 2012.

New York City will have a fully hybrid fleet of yellow taxicabs by 2012, with new mileage standards kicking in as early as next year, Mayor Bloomberg proposed yesterday.

Beginning October 2008, all new taxis in the fleet will be required to achieve a minimum of 25 miles per gallon. One year later, newly purchased cabs will be required to achieve a minimum of 30 miles per gallon.

Given the fuel efficiency of vehicles available on the market today, these new environmentally friendly standards would effectively limit the fleet to hybrid vehicles, city officials said.

"It will be the largest, cleanest fleet of taxis anywhere on the planet," Bloomberg declared.

The announcement - details of which were first reported in yesterday's Daily News - comes a month after Bloomberg unveiled an ambitious 127-point plan he described as the broadest scale attack on global warming undertaken by any city ever.

Bloomberg, who continues to deny interest in running for President, took time yesterday to tout the taxi proposal on NBC's "Today Show" and CNN's "The Situation Room."

The Ford Crown Victoria, which accounts for roughly 90% of the city's 13,000 yellow cabs, gets 14 miles per gallon. By increasing fuel efficiency to 30 miles per gallon, officials estimate the average taxi operator will save more than $10,000 per year.

The city currently has 375 hybrid vehicles on the streets. By October 2010, that number should grow to 7,000.

Officials also said yesterday they will be moving forward on greening the city's 35,000 for-hire vehicles. The city plans to come up with standards for those vehicles in the future.

The new rules are expected to be approved by the city's Taxi and Limousine Commission within the next few months.

Evgeny Friedman, who owns a fleet of about 800 cabs and currently has 120 hybrids, called the hybrid proposal a "no-brainer." He said drivers who rent his fleet of cars make more money. They shell out between $7 and $9 a day for gasoline, compared with $30 for the Crown Victorias, and the maintenance expenses are far lower, he said.

Matthew Daus, head of the Taxi and Limousine Commission, dismissed criticism that hybrids would be less roomy, less comfortable and provide less trunk space.

Stunning some industry officials, Daus said, "When it comes to legroom and trunk space, I think the biggest priority for us, the city and the mayor is basically the environment."

"That comes first. Everything else will fall into place."

Yesterday, several groups representing handicapped people criticized the mayor for failing to make taxis more handicap-accessible. Less than 100 cabs are handicap-accessible today, advocates said.

Michael Harris, campaign coordinator for the Disabled Riders Coalition, said he's disappointed with Bloomberg's "blatant disregard" for the handicapped.

When The News asked Bloomberg about the criticism from the handicapped, the mayor dismissively replied, "I'm sure you have found somebody that isn't happy and we appreciate the efforts that you make."

Note: This entry ends here.

Daily News letters smack Bloomberg on taxis

noreply@blogger.com (Joseph G. Rappaport) — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 14:18:00 +0000

May 29, 2007

Car service

Washington: Mayor Bloomberg dodged addressing concerns of people with disabilities regarding the accessibility of taxis in New York ("Groovy eco trip", May 23). Without proper consideration of the barriers aspects of car design present to people with disabilities, an entire mode of transportation is made completely off-limits to an entire population of people. This is a matter of civil rights, not preferences, and the mayor would do well to acknowledge the difference.

-- President and CEO Andrew J. Imparato, American Association of People with Disabilities

Berkeley, California: Mayor Bloomberg's recent statement of complete disregard for the needs of people with disabilities in New York City for disability-accessible taxis not only hurts New York's aging and physically impaired residents, but is also an insult to other Americans with disabilities like me who travel to New York regularly on business or to simply see a play or a museum exhibit. His callousness is truly shocking.

-- Marilyn Golden, Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund

Note: This entry ends here.

Daily News: Medallion prices at $600,000

noreply@blogger.com (Joseph G. Rappaport) — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 14:11:00 +0000

You think they might be able to pay a bit more for an accessible vehicle? (Though we should note that, in many cases, the vehicle purchaser is not the medallion holder.)

Cab licenses at Cadillac prices

Wednesday, May 30th 2007, 4:00 AM

Two city taxi medallions have been sold on the private market for a record-breaking $600,000 each - showing demand for the scarce licenses is stronger than ever.

The buyer operates a fleet of yellow cabs and closed the deal last month, according to the company that made the loan, Medallion Financial Corp.

The value of the metal shields has been climbing steadily in recent years - up from $195,000 in 2001 - outperforming the stock market and even red-hot real estate.

The reason is that the city strictly limits the number of medallions. There are 13,087 in circulation now, but only 1,300 of them have been auctioned in the past 70 years.

Bidding at the rare auctions has been frenzied, and the top price at the last one in June 2006 was $554,148.

Medallions bought at auction can be resold on the private market. The name of the seller and buyer in the latest sale were not disclosed.

The city applauded the inflationary trend.

"This record sale price says that the New York City taxi industry is healthier and more vital than ever before," said Taxi and Limousine Commissioner Matthew Daus.

Tracy Connor with News Wire Services

Note: This entry ends here.

Hybrid Yellow Cabs: Don't Forget the Disabled

noreply@blogger.com (Webmaster) — Tue, 29 May 2007 13:53:00 +0000

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New York Times
Published: May 29, 2007

To the Editor:

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's announcement that the city's yellow taxi fleet will become completely hybrid within five years (news article, May 23) callously ignores the immediate transportation needs of people with severe physical disabilities who cannot enter or exit currently approved hybrid taxi vehicles, as well as New York City's growing aging population, who are much more likely to acquire a physical impairment.

Despite the availability today of half a dozen minivans that can be modified for easy access for all people, and the continuing development of a factory-built wheelchair accessible sedan that can carry four additional seated passengers, to be available for purchase next year, the mayor chooses to ignore those citizens most in need of disability-friendly taxi service.

Terence J. Moakley
Project Manager, Taxis for All-North America
United Spinal Association
Jackson Heights, Queens
May 23, 2007

Statement of Anne Davis, Chair, Taxis For All Campaign on Mayor Bloomberg's Clean-air Taxi Plan

noreply@blogger.com (Webmaster) — Tue, 22 May 2007 04:00:00 +0000

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Anti-Discrimination Center of Metro New York
Brooklyn Center for Independence of the Disabled (BCID)
Center for Independence of the Disabled in New York (CIDNY)
Disabilities Network of New York City (DNNYC)
Disabled in Action of Metropolitan New York (DIA)
504 Democratic Club
New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI)
New York City Chapter, National Multiple Sclerosis Society
United Spinal Association (USA)

May 22, 2007

To hear Mayor Bloomberg's announcement, you would never know that New York City lags far behind other cities in providing accessible taxis for wheelchair users. His failure to commit to a gradual transition to a wheelchair-accessible taxi fleet represents a shocking failure of vision.

Wheelchair-accessible cabs are currently available, new models are under development, and a mandate for accessibility would spur further innovation. But the Bloomberg administration has refused to join the majority of City Council members who support Intro. 378 -- The Accessible and Green Taxi Transition Law.

While Intro. 378 would mean a fully accessible, green fleet around 2015, under Mayor Bloomberg's proposal, the fleet would be fully green by 2012 but not accessible until some undetermined time in the long distant future.

A fully accessible fleet would save money on paratransit costs and would make a vital part of the city's transportation system accessible to all.

The Taxis For All Campaign has long supported a cleaner taxi fleet: we breathe the same air as everybody else. We are eager to work with Mayor Bloomberg not only to have cleaner taxis but also to have a full fleet of taxis we can actually use.

For more information, contact Anne Davis at 917-331-8410
or Joe Rappaport at 212-662-4449. Visit www.taxisforall.org

Wheelchair Users from Across U.S. Call for More Accessible Service in New York

noreply@blogger.com (Webmaster) — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 13:00:00 +0000

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Anti-Discrimination Center of Metro New York | Center for Independence of the Disabled in New York (CIDNY | Disabilities Network of New York City (DNNYC) | Disabled in Action of Metropolitan New York (DIA) | 504 Democratic Club | New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI) | New York City Chapter, National Multiple Sclerosis Society | United Spinal Association (USA)

For Immediate Release:
April 11, 2007

For More Information, contact:
Joe Rappaport, 212-662-4449 or 646-284-1078
Jean Ryan, 917-658-0760

On 100th Anniversary of Gasoline Taxi in New York City, Advocates from Across Country Ask:
"Why Can't Wheelchair Users Get a Ride?"

Taxi '07 Exhibit Shows New Accessible Vehicles on the Way.
But San Francisco, Chicago, Houston and Other Cities
Offer Far Better Service Already

The Taxis For All Campaign joined out-of-town wheelchair users attending a "Taxi Summit" to urge New York City leaders to "stop making excuses" for the lack of accessible yellow cabs here.

Meeting at the Javits Center's Taxi '07 Exhibit on Wednesday with wheelchair and scooter users, taxi fleet owners, regulators and taxi officials from San Francisco, Chicago and other cities, the group spoke out about how New York City lags many U.S. in offering wheelchair accessible taxis. Only 37 cabs are accessible out of 13,087 medallions.

Many members of the group rolled their way to the Javits Center site from the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square - where the Taxi Summit is taking place - because the lack of accessible vehicles makes it virtually impossible to get to the Javits Center by taxi.

"It's extraordinary that the biggest taxi-using city in the nation can't figure out how to get accessible taxis on its streets," said Jean Ryan, vice-chair of the Taxis For All Campaign. "The city loses out economically when it can't offer accessible cabs to its own residents and to visitors," Ryan added.

New York City Mayor Bloomberg and the City Council have resisted mandating a gradual transition to an accessible fleet, even though the city's Taxi & Limousine Commission regulates every aspect of the yellow-taxi industry.

On Tuesday, Taxi and Limousine Chair Matthew Daus, a Bloomberg appointee, admitted that "other cities are certainly ahead of us" in impromptu remarks before the summit attendees.

Promising signs

Speakers at Tuesday's summit session described success stories in San Francisco - where accessible vehicles manage to run for years amid the hills and steep slopes - and in Chicago, Houston and Alabama, among other locations. In London, every single taxi is accessible, an initiative that started after city leaders mandated a transition in 1989.

Another promising sign is the development of new accessible vehicles, including a fully accessible vehicle by a Michigan-based company, Standard Taxi, on display at the Taxi '07 Exhibit. The exhibit, funded by Standard, also features other innovative, accessible taxi models in development. The Taxi '07 exhibit is a project of the Design Trust for Public Space.

"This exhibit shows it can be done - and the experience of other cities shows accessibility is achievable already," said Anne Davis, chair of the Taxis For All Campaign.

Little progress in New York City

In a letter to TLC Chairman Daus, 50 groups and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer urged the City to abandon plans for a "call-in" system that wheelchair users described as an "Access-A-Ride Jr."-and to support legislation that "would, gradually, lead to full conversion of the yellow cab fleet so that all New Yorkers can use our city's taxis."

The groups also wrote:

"The TLC's own description of the dispatch system shows a 'passenger service level' in which 50% of wheelchair users who call for a cab would wait more than 40 minutes for a pick-up. Why should any New Yorker put up with such a substandard system?

And this is no 'stop-gap' measure, since with no TLC and legislative commitment to a phased-in transition to accessible and green vehicles, the 'gap' goes on forever."

City Council Intro. 378, introduced by Council Member Oliver Koppell and sponsored by 26 council members, would - over a period of several years - require taxi operators to buy accessible and lower-polluting vehicles. In 2006, the Council passed legislation that would require another 150 accessible taxi medallions to be sold. They will be in service in late 2007 or in early 2008, the TLC says.

The city's taxi industry has opposed the bill, just as the auto industry resisted seat belts, air bags, and fuel economy requirements until the government required them to introduce them.

"If the Bloomberg administration wants to show it means business, it'll adopt a mandate that will make accessible taxis a reality in the next several years, not in the 2020s or 2030s," said Terry Moakley, another Taxis For All Campaign member. "It's time to stop making excuses when other cities leave us behind."