From the NY Post:More than 1,000 of the apple-colored outer borough cabs are up and running on the streets of New York — offering New Yorkers nearly 300,000 rides since the program launched in August.
“For too long, four and a half of our five boroughs didn’t have taxi service — and now they do,” Bloomberg said at a press conference in Williamsburg on Tuesday.
He added, “If there was ever a demand that showed itself when there was only a little bit of supply, it’s this.”
He then hopped a green cab and took it to a meeting in Midtown.
Taxi and Limousine Commission has so far issued 6,000 green cab licenses, the total available during the program’s first year. All 6,000 are expected to be out on the road by March, Bloomberg said.
In June 2014, 6,000 more licenses will become available.
Bloomberg may tout the figures as a transportation achievement — but mayor-elect Bill de Blasio is outspoken critic of the green taxis.
As public advocate, de Blasio worked with taxi organizations in a failed attempt to stop Bloomberg’s plan to allow the green cabs to answer hails in outer boroughs.
Last month, de Blasio said he wants to go “back to the drawing board” when it comes to a plan for the outer-borough cabs.
The program survived a court challenge and opposition from yellow taxi drivers, who claimed the green cabs will encroach on their turf.
8 comments:
The word/phrase "outer boroughs" is extremely condescending.
As a former yellow cab driver (1971-1979), a lifetime resident of Queens and a father of 4, I applaud the green cabs. I tell my kids that they can safely hail a green taxi because it is regulated, insured and the driver is properly licensed. I still tell my daughters to text me the number on the top of the cab when they get in. This was not possible before with gypsy cabs. Good luck to all taxi drivers, including the new green taxi drivers, and be safe.
I think they're ugly! Thats the point I guess! 6000 more licenses=6000 more foreigners headed to nyc....as if we already didnt have enough!
Who the hell is taking cabs in Queens?
It's all illegal white vans for the Asians and Access-a-Rides for the morbidly obese (continued eligibility should be contingent on weight loss).
Cabs are so expensive in the land of NO GODDAMNED TRAINS!!!!
Expand the trains into Flooshing, Bayside, Whitestone, College Point and out to the Nassau border.
Why are there no trains out here?
Buses are slow, clunky and useless!
"He then hopped a green cab and took it to a meeting in Midtown." Should read
"He then hopped a green cab and took it two blocks, until he was out of sight of the cameras and got in his luxury SUV and took THAT meeting in Midtown." Gimme a break do you really think he's gonna take a cab like the hoi polloi?
DiBlasio is wasting no time trying to fark things up, huh?
How much campaign money did the gypsy cab companies give him???
I take cabs in Queens all the time. Four Twos!
More cabs is the absolute wrong way to go. Cabs are incredibly inefficient (one person per trip usually) and as a whole, they pollute more when their total number is taken into account.
Increased investment in rail is they best way to go. It's the fastest, the most efficient and, if electric like the subway, they pollute very little in comparison to a fleet of cabs. It's also the most expensive service to initiate, unfortunately.
Buses are somewhere in the middle. They're more efficient than cabs by grouping trips together. As a whole, they pollute less than cabs (but more than subways). They also require much less money up front to implement new service. But, they are also the slowest.
If this country would wake up, we'd invest in rail. It would create many jobs and make everything better - especially in cities.
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