The following Boro Taxi information was first published in June 2013 with the passing of the Boro Street Hail Livery Service Legislation. It is being reproduced here in response to industry requests made to TLC Magazine. It is available in complete detail on the New York City Taxi Limousine Commission website:

http://www.nyc.gov/html/tlc/html/home/home.shtml

THE TLC IS ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR STREET HAIL LIVERY (SHL) LICENSES:

• Only 6,000 SHL licenses will be issued each year until 18,000 are issued.
  
  
• 20% of the licenses are reserved for use with wheelchair accessible vehicles.
  
  
• Grants for the purchase or conversion of a wheelchair accessible vehicle are available to those who meet eligibility requirements.
  

Using the links below you can download SHL applications and checklists, request an appointment to submit an application to the TLC, apply for an accessibility grant, and learn about the rules and regulations pertaining to the SHL service.

After you have purchased your SHL license you must take these additional steps before you can begin operation:

Step 1. You must affiliate your SHL license with a Base that has a Street Hail Livery Base Endorsement. A list of the SHL Endorsed Bases will be posted on our website and updated on a daily basis.

Step 2. You must attach a fully equipped and TLC licensed vehicle to your SHL license. You must then take your vehicle for inspection and "hack up" at our Woodside inspection facility.

You cannot operate your SHL until you complete both of these steps. Information on how to complete these steps can be found using the links below.

Authorized passenger service areas:

• Street Hail Livery vehicles can pick up passengers by street hail anywhere outside of Manhattan (except for the airports) and in Manhattan north of West 110th street and north of East 96th street.
  
  
• Street Hail Livery vehicles may also accept dispatches in Manhattan north of West 110th street and north of East 96th street and anywhere outside Manhattan including the airports.
  

Grants

If you are purchasing an Accessible SHL permit you may be eligible for grant funding up to $15,000 to help with the cost of purchasing or upfitting an approved vehicle. A grant eligibility letter will be issued to you by the TLC on the day of your appointment. Please visit the URL’s below below for additional information.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/tlc/html/industry/shl_grant_program.shtml - Grant

http://www.nyc.gov/html/tlc/downloads/pdf/shl_permit_app_checklist.pdf - SHL Permit Application and Checklist

http://www.nyc.gov/html/tlc/html/industry/drivers.shtml - Driver Application and Checklist

http://www.nyc.gov/html/tlc/html/industry/base_and_business.shtml - Base/Business Application and Checklist (Livery, Paratransit, Commuter Van)

http://www.nyc.gov/html/tlc/html/industry/fhv_veh_owners.shtml - Vehicle Application and Checklist

INDUSTRY NOTICE #13-26

IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR OWNERS OF STREET HAIL LIVERY PERMITS

CREATIVE MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES & VERIFONE, INC. APPROVED AS LPEP LICENSEES

The New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) has issued LPEP (Livery Passenger Enhancement Program) licenses to:

• Creative Mobile Technologies, LLC (CMT), and
  
  
• VeriFone, Inc. (VTS).
  

Owners of Street Hail Livery permits may enter into agreements for purchase and maintenance of authorized LPEP equipment with either LPEP licensee. The TLC will notify owners through an industry notice as additional LPEP licenses are issued. A current list of LPEP licensees can be found at:

www.nyc.gov/html/tlc/html/industry/authorized_lpep_providers.shtml

MAYOR BLOOMBERG DISCUSSES IMPLEMENTATION
OF FIVE-BOROUGH TAXI PLAN

The following statement by Mayor Bloomberg concerning the new Outer Boro Taxi was first published by the Mayor's office on June 6, 2013. It is being provided here in an abbreviated form.

MAYOR BLOOMBERG ANNOUNCES NEW YORK’S HIGHEST COURT UNANIMOUSLY UPHOLDS STATE LAW AUTHORIZING LIVERY STREET HAIL SERVICE AND ADDITIONAL ACCESSIBLE YELLOW TAXICABS

Decision Upholds Constitutionality of State Law Against Challenges by Taxi Medallion Owners and Lenders

New York State Court of Appeals unanimously upheld a State law authorizing the City's establishment of street hail livery service in Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, Staten Island and northern Manhattan. It authorizes, as well, the City's sale of 2,000 additional medallions for wheelchair-accessible yellow taxicabs which is expected to generate approximately $1 billion in City revenue over the next few years.

"With this decision, we can finally bring safe, reliable taxi service to the four and a half boroughs that don't currently have it," said Mayor Bloomberg. "That's a victory for everyone who lives in, works in or visits New York City. This will also advance our efforts to make taxi service available to people with disabilities by adding 2,000 wheelchair-accessible yellow cabs to the streets."

Last fall, after State Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron ruled the State law to be invalid, the City and State were granted permission by the New York State Court of Appeals to bypass review by a mid-level State appeals court and take a direct appeal to the Court of Appeals. Reversing the Supreme Court, in an opinion by Judge Pigott, the Court of Appeals declared the State law constitutional. In doing so, the Court found that the State law is designed to advance a substantial State interest in improving access to street-hail transportation throughout the five boroughs, especially for disabled people and people who live or spend time in areas of New York City historically underserved by the yellow taxi industry.

"TLC is eager to move forward with its street hail livery service program so that street hail service is available in areas of the City where yellow taxicabs rarely go," said Chairman Yassky. "We are also eager to put more wheelchair-accessible for-hire cars on the road and look forward to working with the disability advocacy community to implement all of the progressive programs for service to the disabled already in motion."

Mayor Bloomberg Discusses Implementation of Five-Borough Taxi Plan and Sale of 2,000 Medallions for Accessible Yellow Cabs with TLC Commissioner Yassky June 06, 2013
(Photo Credit: Edward Reed)

In its 22-page decision, the Court unanimously rejected all of the plaintiffs' arguments. The State law "plainly furthers" important State goals, the Court reasoned, including the provision of "[e]fficient transportation services in the State's largest City and international center of commerce." Justice Abdus-Salaam, who joined the Court after these cases were briefed and argued, took no part in the decision.

The plaintiffs in the three cases included trade associations and members of the yellow taxicab industry, credit unions that lend money to finance medallion purchases, and City Council Member Lewis A. Fidler. Participants in the livery industry favoring and opposing the State law intervened as defendants and plaintiffs, respectively. Participating as amicus curiae, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer supported the City’s position.

As amended in February 2012, the State law challenged in these lawsuits authorizes the City to establish a Hail Accessible Interborough License (HAIL) program, to provide safe, reliable and lawful street-hail service in areas of the City underserved by yellow taxicabs. The unmet demand for street-hail service in those areas has been met by livery cabs (which are not presently licensed to accept street hails) and illegal "gypsy" cabs.

Under the HAIL program, HAIL licensed livery cars can respond to street hails in Manhattan north of E. 96th Street and W. 110th Street and in Brooklyn, Staten Island, the Bronx, and Queens (except at LaGuardia and Kennedy Airports). The State law authorizes TLC to issue up to 18,000 HAIL vehicle licenses during a three year period, 20 percent of which must be for wheelchair-accessible vehicles.

In addition, the State law authorizes the City to issue, and sell at public auction, 2,000 new licenses (known as medallions) for wheelchair accessible yellow taxicabs. Beyond increasing the availability of wheelchair-accessible yellow taxicabs in the City, the issuance of these 2,000 new medallions should
generate over $1 billion in revenues for the City.

© 2013 TLC Magazine Online, Inc.