What U.S. city has the most overall taxis? Yup, it is New York, New York. Whether you live here, or somewhere else in this country or around the world, you may know about New York’s iconic yellow taxis.
- Less than 1% of all cabs are accessible.
- Accessible taxis allow spontaneous travel.
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They basically operate in the business portion of Manhattan and to and from our two airports in Queens. There are slightly more than 13,000 of them, with just 239 of the wheelchair-accessible variety.
In addition, something which most out-of-towners don’t know about is the community car service, or as some New Yorkers refer to them, “the taxis of the outer boroughs.” They provide “taxi” service in upper Manhattan, all of Queens that’s not the two airports there, and the Bronx, Brooklyn and Staten Island. By the best estimates, there are some 25,000 community car service vehicles operating in the Big Apple. Only four of them are accessible.
Without boring you with the many local regulatory differences between yellow taxi service and community car service, suffice it to say that if you do the math, the total accessible vehicles in the combined “taxi” systems is less than 1%. One very important fact is that when a yellow taxi is retired from service, it is often refurbished to become a community car service “taxi.”
The availability of accessible taxis anywhere on the planet enables spontaneous travel for wheelchair users and others with a significant mobility impairment. Ask anyone who uses a wheelchair and who has traveled to London, England, and they will tell you better than I can since I haven’t made it to London yet. All of their taxis are wheelchair-accessible.
Well, the Taxis For All Campaign in New York City, of which United Spinal Association is a member, sees an opportunity to change the taxi status quo here before our November 3rd citywide elections, but we need your help no matter where you live. New York City’s incumbent mayor, Michael R. Bloomberg, is running for re-election. So, no matter where you call home, write the mayor a letter at City Hall, New York, NY 10007, urging him to mandate a gradual fully accessible yellow taxi system.
Our mayor is fond of referring to our town as an international city. No argument here. But, the time is now to truly make New York a first class city by beginning to make the yellow taxi and community car service industries accessible to everyone.
Terence Moakley
United Spinal Association Board Member
Mr. Moakley is indeed correct that New York City has the most taxicabs of anywhere in the US, but what is also true is that NYC has the most wheelchair accessible taxicabs of any city in the nation, too! Just to add to Mr. Moakley’s posting, the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) is pleased to announce an experimental program that maximizes the existing number of accessible taxicabs by dispatching them — 24/7 — to persons who use wheelchairs by simply calling 311 — Mayor Bloomberg’s government services hotline. There have already been thousands of successful accessible dispatches, and we hope that many more will take advantage of this program and help the TLC to learn more about the demand for this type of service, and about the ways in which it could be best provided. Once again, just call 311 for the dispatch of a wheelchair accessible New York City taxicab!
I’m well aware of the 311 accessible taxi dispatch system. It’s kind of humorous to see Mr. Fromberg, who works in public relations for the TLC, “announcing” this system now, when it started in July of 2008. Both people with disabilities and NY City Council members criticized the TLC at a Transportation Committee hearing last Thursday for not marketing the 311 taxi dispatch system. The TLC’s defense? “we had no money to market it.” I also question the “thousands” of 311 dispatch trips Mr. Fromberg mentions. That’s not what other TLC staff said at the same hearing. Instead, they focused on low demand for accessible taxis. I say, “if you want a new service for the public to fail, be sure not to market it.” Finally, I doubt that the current mayor is as proud as Mr Fromberg is that less than 1% of the entire taxi system in NYC is wheelchair-accessible.
Terence Moakley
United Spinal Association Board Member
Mayor Bloomberg just won another four years to make accessible taxis a reality and dramatically reduce the City’s 200 million dollar paratransit budget. NYCT and the TLC should work together to make this happen and stop ignoring the issue (Mayor) and/or implementing piece meal,poorly thought out programs (TLC).
In NYC the word “taxi” should mean “accessible taxi.” Come on Mayor Bloomberg and minions, do the right thing.