Taxis & Limos
Streetsblog Basics
Why Is There So Much Traffic in NYC? It’s the Free Roads, Stupid
Since the de Blasio administration attempted to cap for-hire cars this summer, the debate over Manhattan traffic has gotten louder, but not more productive. Uber claimed it definitely wasn't the problem. Some council members wondered if bike lanes were slowing down cars. Amid all the noise, something important got lost.
September 17, 2015
Uber Should Pay an MTA Fee Like Yellow Cabs, But the Fee Should Be Smarter
One of the points of debate over Uber's operations in New York is whether its trips should contribute the same 50-cent surcharge to the MTA that yellow and green taxis do. It's an easy question to answer in some ways: It doesn't matter whether a car is yellow, green, or black -- if some for-hire vehicles have to pay an MTA fee, they all should. But as long as this taxi surcharge is in the public eye, there's also an opportunity to rethink the fee itself and make it smarter.
August 26, 2015
For Some, Uber’s Role in Congesting Manhattan Still Hidden in Plain Sight
Maybe it’s the sleekness. Or the digital disruptiveness. Or something slipped in the water bottle on your seat. Whatever it is, some data mavens are contorting into pretzels to deny the obvious -- that Uber is contributing to the slowdown in Manhattan traffic.
August 18, 2015
Why Traffic Congestion Has Rebounded in the CBD
Traffic congestion in the Manhattan core is rebounding. Travel-speed data culled from taxicab GPS and released last month by City transportation and taxi officials suggest that average motor vehicle travel speeds in the Central Business District fell by 8.5 percent from 2012 to 2014. The slowdown follows years of flat or even rising speeds -- a phenomenon that predated the 2008 financial collapse and undermined congestion pricing proposals by making car, bus, truck and taxi travel in the heart of the city a little more efficient and predictable.
July 29, 2015
The Real Reason Uber Traffic Matters in NYC
For a moment yesterday, it seemed like the big clash between the taxi medallion industry and app-based car services, framed in terms of Uber's effect on snarled Manhattan traffic, might veer into unexpectedly brilliant territory. There was Deputy Mayor Anthony Shorris in the Daily News, telling the MTA that City Hall would consider the Move NY traffic reduction plan to fund transit investment. Finally, a sign that some of the big players are getting serious about a comprehensive fix for the city's congestion problem.
July 23, 2015
Uber’s Own Numbers Show It’s Making Traffic Worse
Uber blasted out an Excel spreadsheet to reporters this morning, accompanied by a story and editorial in the Daily News, with data providing a snapshot of how many Uber vehicles are on Manhattan streets south of 59th Street, New York's central business district. While Uber claims the data shows its vehicles aren't responsible for congestion in the city core, transportation analyst Charles Komanoff has crunched Uber's own numbers and estimates that the service has actually reduced traffic speeds in the central business district by about 8 percent.
July 22, 2015
Uber Makes the Case for NYC Cyclists to Download Lyft
It's hard to make livable streets advocates take the same side of an issue as the taxi medallion industry, but Uber's general manager in New York, Josh Mohrer, is giving it his best shot.
July 21, 2015
NYC’s Taxi Regulations Are Obsolete. How Should They Change?
The de Blasio administration's proposed slowdown in new for-hire vehicle licenses for a one-year study period could be the opening move in a major rewrite of the rules governing the city's taxi and livery industry. The current system is an anachronism, and a big overhaul could harmonize the city's growing array of medallion taxis, green cabs, and Uber-type services in a way that lessens the need for private car ownership without contributing to congestion in the city core. But what, exactly, would that system look like?
July 15, 2015
DOT Drops Sheepshead Bay Plaza Plan After Oppo From Deutsch, CB 15
More space for people near the Sheepshead Bay subway station? Council Member Chaim Deutsch and Community Board 15 aren't interested.
July 9, 2015