It was only in March when one blog’s joyfully shouted the headline: Good News Taxi Riders! No Fare Hikes Planned For This Year. “Only” because, not three months later did Taxi and Limousine Commissioner David Yassky deem a request for a taxi fare hike from cabbies and cab-owners as “reasonable.”
And now, here we stand four months later, as a fare hike is approved. And not a small one, either. Read More
In March, New York City’s Taxi and Limousine Commissioner David Yassky told the City Council’s Transportation Commission that a taxi fare increase wasn’t on the “immediate horizon.” Local news website Gothamist ran with the headline: Good News Taxi Riders! No Fare Hikes Planned For This Year.
Well, we now know what he meant by “immediate horizon.” And it wasn’t “for the next year.” Read More
That is the argument being put forth by a new accessibility group, AXS, which is also working on a map app that will help disable New Yorkers find places—restaurants, bars, shops and the like—suited to their needs. The group has just produced this video putting the struggles of its founder into context with its dream of fleet of accessible cabs (among other things) while also suggesting that the mayor does not particularly care for the needs of the disabled. Read More
Books have been written and papers published that let us, the ignorant, general public know whether we are indeed alcoholics or not. Usually with the aid of those all important “top tell-tale signs”—putting aside the fact that the most obvious sign you’re an alcoholic, is whether you have read a ‘tell tale signs are that you’re an alcoholic’ list.
Alas, no book exists that gives a guide for measuring something as intangible as a physical city, however if one did, you can’t help but feel that one tell-tale sign would be the Department of Transportion giving away free taxi rides to stop it’s inhabitants from driving drunk. Read More
When NYC’s ‘Taxi of Tomorrow’ – a Nissan NV200 – was first unveiled to the public last month, one of the glaring omissions was the lack of wheelchair access. Not surprisingly this prompted several disability rights groups to bring a lawsuit against the city, stating that the design violated the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). Slightly more surprising was the U.S. Attorneys office come out in supporting of them. Read More
This week, the Taxi of Tomorrow—well the taxi of 2013 to 2023, that is (the duration of the lease)—was unveiled to New Yorkers for the very first time. Thoughts from the first users of the fully fitted mock-up installation, which is on display in Madison Square Park until Sunday, were mixed. Despite the years of research and design, you can be sure that any flaw will be brought to light by the critical eye of your average New Yorker. Read More
As was revealed back in June, it will be at least two years before the Nissan-designed Taxi of Tomorrow hits the road, at which point most cabs will have to be replaced with this first-ever New York-exclusive taxi. In the meantime, the city has agreed to let Ford’s runner-up entry be sold while the Nissans get up to speed.
As The Journal reports, the first 200 Ford Transit Connects are in the city and have begun making the rounds. Read More
9/11: Obama will be in NYC. [Javier Hernandez]
Bin Laden Book: Peter Begen gets it started. [Ujala Sehgal]
Bin Laden Photos: White House may release them. [Helene Cooper]
Bin Laden Photos: Some seem Read More
Taxi Commissioner David Yassky and Assemblyman Micah Kellner mix it up, on Facebook.
Kellner chided the city’s “Taxi of Tomorrow” for being “the delivery van of yesterday.”
Yassky – a bookish, former law school professor with a dry sense of humor – wrote “And Read More
Back in November, the city announced it would be replacing the iconic Crown Victoria with the first-ever purpose-built yellow cab. It released a questionnaire seeking input on what New Yorkers want from their new cab, as well as seeking votes on which of three designs–from Ford, Nissan and Turkish light-truck manufacturer Karsan–people preferred. Last Read More
