Monday, May 11, 2009 |
|
We see that the region's transportation planning council, NYMTC, calls increasing the number of accessible taxis in New York City and the Lower Hudson Valley a "high" priority. That's in the draft executive summary of its report on improving transportation for "persons with disabilities, older adults and persons with lower income." (To read the entire report, go to the council's site.) NYMTC will hear public comments on the plan tomorrow, May 12, from 3-5 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. at its office, 199 Water Street, 22nd Street. RSVP (for security reasons) to 212-383-7200. (There are also meetings in White Plains on Wednesday and in Happauge, L.I. on Thursday.) If anyone can dig in deeper, let's hear from you. Labels: accessible taxis, New York City, NYMTC |
| posted by Webmaster 2 at
5/11/2009 01:30:00 PM 0 Comments (post your comments) email this post  |
Thursday, May 7, 2009 |
|
Hailing Cabs from a Wheelchair By Edith M. Prentiss From this month's issue of Able Newspaper (May 2009) We’ve all read and written about the problems with the lack of wheelchair accessible taxis in New York City. The Taxi for All Campaign has fought for almost fifteen years to rectify the problem. TFAC was the impetus for failed intros in the City Council that would have required a gradual transition of the fleet to accessible as vehicles are replaces, every few years. Instead of seriously pursuing wheelchair accessible taxis, the City opted for clean air hybrid taxis. The minor increase in the number of accessible taxis has been achieved solely by selling medallions restricted for accessible taxis. Without a transition program, the percentage of accessible taxi is contingent upon the continued sale of medallions. But for the GOOD news: in early March, I was rushing from PT on 218th St to a meeting at the Lower East Side Tenement Museum (Orchard & Broome). I planned to wheel down Broadway to 207; take an A train to West 4th. take a M21 across Houston to Allen and finally wheel to Broome. Taking buses on Broadway and Allen were possibilities but only if buses were at the stops. As I waited for the M21, the threatening skies opened. Before I got soaked, miracle of miracles, an empty accessible cab turned from 6th Ave. I threw my air in the air and yelled TAXI! The cab stopped and I wheeled in. It had been 17 years since I hailed a yellow cab! I was so excited, I spent the trip calling friends. A few weeks, I had to go from Washington Heights to 116 St and Fifth Ave early in the evening. The A train would have taken me to 125 and St Nicholas which is a good wheel or a bus. The M4, being the only bus that crosses 110 St from Broadway, is a nightmare then. My choice was a M98 and wheel from Lexington Ave. Several M4s past but not the scheduled M98, and then there was an accessible taxi. Again, up flew my arm and the cab stopped. I’d always been concerned about rear entry cabs. But it was no harder than bumping off the curb when a bus stops in the street. The driver dropped me at a driveway and I easily wheeled onto the sidewalk. Interestingly enough, Access-A-Ride is trying to use the Central Dispatch System, which we’re transferred to from 311, when a wheelchair users’ regular AAR trip fails. But AAR has experienced the same frustrations as regular callers, which is that there are simply not enough accessible taxis and since accepting trips from Executive is voluntary, not enough taxis are signing on to accept trips for wheelchair users. Only a fully accessible fleet will resolve these problems! But there is still the problem of inaccessible black cars and liveries for those where taxis don’t cruise. A few street hails do not indicate the problem is over. TFAC has a long fight yet! Labels: Access-A-Ride, central dispatch, Taxis For All Campaign |
| posted by Webmaster 2 at
5/07/2009 04:54:00 PM 0 Comments (post your comments) email this post |
|
Australia: Drivers of wheelchair-accessible cabs will get a $150 incentive to keep on the road this Mother's Day. See the story. Ireland: The country's Labour Party is backing the abolition of Dublin's taxi regulators -- and a moratorium on new licenses. The number of taxis in the city has doubled to more than 27,000 since 2000. New York has about 13,000, though that doesn't include tens of thousands of livery vehicles. See the story. Lebanon: The Christian Science Monitor describes a taxi service run by women for women. The cars are easy to spot -- they're pink. See the story. Labels: Australia, Ireland, other cities |
| posted by Webmaster 2 at
5/07/2009 10:09:00 AM 0 Comments (post your comments) email this post |
Wednesday, May 6, 2009 |
|
The Taxi and Limousine Commission is retraining its 47,000 yellow-taxi drivers--and now requiring training for the city's 53,000 limo, black car and livery drivers. This description in the Post focuses on the effort to make sure drivers know how to use new high-tech features in taxis, but does say that drivers will be tested on "consumer interaction." See the story. See current comments on this story by hitting "post your comments" link, below. |
| posted by Webmaster 2 at
5/06/2009 03:31:00 PM 1 Comments (post your comments) email this post |
Tuesday, May 5, 2009 |
|
Credit card readers, back-seat TVs, GPS devices -- the Taxi & Limousine Commission is enamored with technological gimmicks that do little to improve taxi riding and nothing to improve access. Now it is looking to expand on these earlier proposals and has put out an RFP asking for ideas. It's open to the public. Should the Taxis For All Campaign reply? Here's a blog entry from CNET about the TLC plan. Here's the request for information (RFI). Submissions are due on June 15. See current comments on this story by hitting "post your comments" link, below. Labels: high-tech, Taxi of Tomorrow, TLC |
| posted by Webmaster 2 at
5/05/2009 10:17:00 AM 1 Comments (post your comments) email this post |
|
Originally proposed by the State Senate at $1, the cost of yellow-taxi rides would increase 50 cents to fund the MTA. The $95 million raised would go only to the MTA, not upstate road and bridge projects. Watch or read the Channel 7 story. Labels: Albany, MTA, State Senate, taxi fare |
| posted by Webmaster 2 at
5/05/2009 10:08:00 AM 0 Comments (post your comments) email this post |
Monday, May 4, 2009 |
|
Updated with new story on May 5th. Worcestershire: Activist criticizes accessible-taxi plan. He also says newest London cab won't accommodate him and other users. See the story. Colchester; Plymouth: Public transport is not accessible, concludes "End of the Line, a survey conducted by young activists from the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign. See the story. Additional coverage here. Here's an excerpt from the Colchester story: "For most of us, jumping on a bus or train is something we do without a second’s thought. Our biggest frustration comes when they are either delayed or cancelled, but, for the most part, using public transport is a doddle. [Doddle, not surprisingly, means a "breeze" or a "piece of cake."] But this is anything but the case for one community group. According to a major national survey, public transport is next to useless for disabled people. A group of 200 young campaigners helped put together the investigative report, End of the Line, which charts the experiences of disabled passengers using public transport across the country...." Labels: England, London, other cities |
| posted by Webmaster 2 at
5/04/2009 02:26:00 PM 0 Comments (post your comments) email this post |
|
LA Times (via Contra Costa Times): The latest on hybrid taxis in San Francisco. See the story. Labels: hybrid vehicles, other cities, San Francisco |
| posted by Webmaster 2 at
5/04/2009 10:27:00 AM 0 Comments (post your comments) email this post |
Friday, May 1, 2009 |
|
It's a great thing that New York's yellow taxis are going green -- but a foundation that funded some of the work that is making this happen doesn't seem to be aware of the lack of accessibility. See the blog entry. And, if you really have time on your hands, take a look at a video on the introduction of hybrid taxis featuring interviews with Council Member John Liu and an attorney from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). Labels: environmentalists, hybrid vehicles, Liu, NRDC |
| posted by Webmaster 2 at
5/01/2009 10:59:00 AM 0 Comments (post your comments) email this post |