COMMISSIONER'S LETTER

By New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission Commissioner/Chairman David Yassky

Good news abounds this month, and I am very pleased to share it with you all! First and foremost, the Court of Appeals - the highest court in the State of New York - has upheld Governor Cuomo's Boro Taxi law as well as the framework of rules for this program.

We are well into the process of welcoming eager applicants and walking them through the process. As we speak, we are working our way through almost 2,000 permit requests, several hundred of which are for wheelchair accessible permits. I'm grateful to Mayor Bloomberg, whose vision of a city made more equal by the existence of "Manhattan quality" hail taxi service in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and north Manhattan, was the engine that drove our efforts. I'm also grateful to the elected officials who stood up to the special interests that sought to derail our efforts.

I'm thankful for the dedication of TLC staff, many of whom sacrificed nights, weekends and family time to make sure the hard work of bringing Street Hail Liveries from concept to reality was done. I'm also grateful for the advocacy of the many supportive drivers and bases . . . and you know who you are! No matter how daunting the opposition, they never faltered in their faith and belief in what we were fighting for, and I am thrilled that their faith has been rewarded.

There is a treasure trove of information on the Street Hail Livery program on our web site at www.nyc.gov/taxi.

On the very same day we got the good news about Street Hail Liveries, another court gave us the news that it was releasing the E-Hail Pilot Program from a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO), and so passengers now have a new way to call a taxicab. Whatever side of the issue you're on with regard to the (I believe unfounded) belief that someone has to siphon business from someone else for e-hail to work, if you put yourself in the shoes of the passenger for a brief moment, you'll understand that trying to take technology out of people’s hands is like holding back the ocean.

Last but FAR from least, I am writing these words having just adjourned a public Commission meeting at which our Board of Commissioners voted overwhelmingly to pass the enabling rules for the Taxi of Tomorrow.

As with most meetings before the TLC, the arguments both for and against were passionate, and the discussions deep and meaningful. I think the weighing of this particular issue, however, was uniquely noteworthy in that it inspired a truly diverse coalition of civic and business leaders, as well as prominent emergency doctors and safety advocates, to say with almost one voice . . . the Nissan NV 200 Taxi of Tomorrow is what our city wants, needs and deserves . . . that the time has come for NYC to have a purpose-built cab that gives passengers AND drivers a better, safer and smarter ride.

Prominent emergency physician Dr. Rahul Sharma (left) gets an inside look at the NV 200 Taxi of Tomorrow, courtesy of Nissan's Peter Bedrosian. Dr. Sharma was among a number of doctors who supported the ToT for its advances in both passenger and driver safety.


It's a funny thing about these public meetings, though. Just pick any meeting in the TLC's history and you will see that there is no shortage of industry folks who will argue the pros and cons of a given issue with the same passion and conviction of a Mr. Smith "going to Washington" and deliver a filibuster on the position of their choice. What we don’t have, however, are passengers who join them in these debates. We don't have a "straphangers" group as the MTA does, and so it typically falls to the TLC to represent and advocate for passengers, and be their voice.

Today, a group of leaders that would be on anybody's "who's who" list of great New Yorkers took on that important role and said, "Yes, we support this!" And not only did they have passengers on their minds, but also drivers. They were acutely aware that the vehicle is markedly safer than the current batch of taxicabs for both passengers and drivers, and that it will be crash tested WITH the partition for the first time ever, but also that drivers will, for the first time, have a seat and driving compartment tailored to their needs.

Today, whether a driver is 5'4" or 6'2", the seat he or she will spend at least 10 hours a day in is frozen in place. In the Taxi of Tomorrow their seat configuration can be as flexible and unique as they are. I'm grateful this group felt moved to act as they did. I can only hope this becomes a trend.

Until next time, be safe and be well!

Commissioner David Yassky gives NY 1 reporter Bobby Cuza a guided tour through the NV200 Taxi of Tomorrow.

LETTER OF SUPPORT FOR TLC'S TAXI OF TOMORROW PROGRAM BY A COALITION OF PROMINENT NYC CIVIC AND BUSINESS LEADERS

Dear Commissioners:

We are writing to urge you to adopt the proposed Taxi of Tomorrow rule at your June 20 meeting. We believe this rule will greatly enhance the quality of taxi service in New York City.

Taxicabs form a critical piece of the City's transportation network, complementing our unparalleled subway and bus service, and transporting some 600,000 people a day. In particular, taxis provide crucial transportation support to the midtown and downtown Manhattan business districts, to the airports, and to the City's tourism industry.

We commend the TLC for keeping taxicab service reasonably priced compared to competitor cities, for enabling taxi passengers to pay by credit card and for introducing the use of taxi-hailing smartphone apps. Credit card acceptance, in particular, has proved to be of great value to taxi passengers.

We believe the Taxi of Tomorrow will be an even greater advance in customer service. We recognize that the vehicles currently used as taxicabs were designed for general consumer use and have been retrofitted for taxi use. By contrast, the Taxi of Tomorrow vehicle has been custom designed for use as a taxicab, and will provide a new standard of safety, comfort and passenger amenities:

  • Safety: Unlike current taxis, the Taxi of Tomorrow vehicle will meet federal crash test standards with the partition installed, and will reduce the risk of head and face injuries to passengers. The vehicle's front is specifically designed to minimize pedestrian injuries in the event of a collision, and the sliding doors will prevent the 'dooring' of cyclists

  • Passenger comfort: After safety, the most significant shortcoming in much of the current fleet is a lack of adequate legroom for rear seat passengers. The Taxi of Tomorrow vehicle includes a spacious passenger compartment that will accommodate even taller passengers. It also provides a separate heating and air conditioning system controlled by rear seat passengers.

  • Ease of entry and exit: Many older passengers and passengers with limited mobility have difficulty entering and exiting the SUV and minivan vehicles that now compose about half of the taxi fleet. The Taxi of Tomorrow vehicle includes a retractable step, grab handles that will make entry and exit much easier, and an automatic light to alert pedestrians and cyclists when a passenger is entering or exiting the vehicle.

  • Driver/passenger communication: The ToT is equipped with an intercom enabling clear communication between the driver and rear seat passengers. The intercom includes hearing loop technology to assist passengers with hearing aids.

  • Panoramic roof: The Taxi of Tomorrow vehicle is equipped with a panoramic roof that is substantially larger than a typical sunroof, giving passengers thrilling, vertical views of the cityscape. Visitors to the City will particularly appreciate this feature.

  • Reading lights, floor lights and charging ports. The Taxi of Tomorrow includes passenger reading lights similar to those found in luxury "black cars," as well as floor lights that illuminate when the door opens, to help exiting passengers notice items left on the floor. The Taxi of Tomorrow also includes charging ports for phones and tablets.


In sum, we believe the Taxi of Tomorrow will provide a passenger experience markedly superior to that provided by current taxis, and thus will help New York City continue to improve its position as a choice location for businesses and an attractive destination for tourists. We urge you to vote in support of the Taxi of Tomorrow rule on June 20.

Nancy Ploeger
President
Manhattan Chamber of Commerce
(as one who took a test ride in the Taxi of Tomorrow!)

Kathy Wylde
President/CEO
Partnership for New York City

Lee Sander
President/CEO
HAKS
Chair
Regional Plan Association

William C. Rudin
Chairman & CEO
Rudin Management Company
Chairman
Association for a Better New York (ABNY)

Jonathan Tisch
Chairman
Loews Hotels

Steven Spinola
President
Real Estate Board of New York

Douglas Durst
Chairman
The Durst Organization

Jennifer Falk
Executive Director
Union Square Partnership

Cristyne L. Nicholas
Chair
The Broadway Association

Alfred C. Cerullo, III
President and CEO
Grand Central Partnership

Paul Steely White
Executive Director
Transportation Alternatives

Stephen Sigmund
Executive Director
Global Gateway Alliance

Joe Sitt
Chairman
Global Gateway Alliance
CEO, Thor Equities

Susan Chin
Executive Director
Design Trust for Public Space

Paul Herzan
Chairman
Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum

Mitchell Moss
Director
Rudin Center for Transportation,
New York University

Wellington Z. Chen
Executive Director
Chinatown Partnership

 

Watch the TLC web site at www.nyc.gov/taxi for updates, or to access monthly medallion price charts.

 

© 2013 TLC Magazine Online, Inc.