RSS
Home
EXCLUSIVE: Yassky introduces legislation to provide incentives for green or accessible taxis
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
New York City Council Member David Yassky (D - Brooklyn), the Council's biggest advocate for fuel efficient taxicab has introduced legislation that would create a significant incentive for new taxicabs to be either "green" or wheelchair accessible, The Examiner has learned.
Yassky’s bill, Council Intro 2008-876 would encourage medallion owners to utilize fuel-efficient or accessible vehicles by reducing the amount of time new non-accessible and non-green vehicles would have to be replaced from the current three to five years to only 18 months.
Because all taxicabs must be replaced every three to five years under city rules, the new regulations would have resulted in a fleet consisting only of hybrid and accessible vehicles by 2012, but Crotty said the plaintiffs were likely to succeed on their argument that fuel economy standards were delegated to federal agencies under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, thereby halting the phase-in.
The city has 13,237 yellow taxicabs. More than 1,500 of them are already hybrids as a result of voluntary efforts; a fraction of those hybrids are attached to medallions that were specifically auctioned for use with alternative-fuel vehicles. All 271 accessible vehicles on the streets are currently attached to medallions reserved specifically for such vehicles.
"Greening the New York City taxi fleet is an absolute no-brainer," said Yassky in the news release distributed at that news conference. "When we announced a green taxis rule earlier this year, New York instantly became a national leader in sustainability. It is astonishing and sad that the taxi industry is still putting up roadblocks."
While a Bloomberg spokesperson told The Examiner Tuesday night that “[w]e generally don't comment on bills before they have a hearing, unless they are bills we introduced,” it appears inevitable that the administration would back the legislation.
"Last month, we hit a speed bump in our efforts to turn New York City’s yellow cabs green when the courts upheld an archaic law, preventing us from reducing greenhouse gases and improving air quality," said Bloomberg in the same press release. "But one of the reasons we have been so successful over the last seven years is we do not let obstacles stop us from achieving our goals. By offering incentives that will encourage more taxi fleet owners to purchase hybrids, we have found another avenue to reach our goal of greening our yellow cabs, improving our air quality, and reducing our carbon emissions.”
Of Yassky and Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D – Brooklyn/Manhattan), Bloomberg was quoted in the release as saying, “I’m pleased that Congressman Nadler and Council Member [Yassky] are partnering with us on the legislative front, and I want to thank them for their support."
A spokesperson for the taxi industry, who brought the original lawsuit could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday night.
The City Council Committee on Transportation is scheduled to hold a hearing on the legislation on December 4th.
Related Articles:
Add a Comment
Sen. Hiram Monserrate (D - Queens) FILE PHOTO: HARRIS/EXAMINER Related articles Monserrate to learn his fate NOW wants Senator Monserrate kicked …
Council Member Larry B. Seabrook (D - Bronx) NYC City Council Photo A Bronx City Council Member surrendered Tuesday to face federal charges that he …
