Ensuring a Taxi for All
I am thrilled to report that the New York State Assembly recently passed my legislation ( A.4406 ) which requires that after October 1, 2014, all new taxicabs put into service in New York City must be accessible to riders with disabilities.
Hailing a cab is an iconic New York experience, but people with disabilities have been locked out of this crucial mode of transportation for far too long. While I am proud to champion this cause, I'm disappointed that the City continues to deny the civil rights of people with disabilities.
Right now, there are an estimated 60,000 wheelchair users, 300,000 individuals with low-vision or who are blind, and almost one million people who have hearing loss or are deaf, that live in New York City. These people need to be able to move about the City just as everyone else does, yet only 231 of the 13,237 medallion yellow cabs (1.7%) are wheelchair-accessible or provide other accommodations to people with disabilities.
Under my legislation, all new taxis must be wheelchair-accessible for the transport of wheelchairs and scooters, use consistent internal design, have enough space to accommodate a service animal, make as much noise as a conventional gasoline-powered car so that they can be heard by the vision-impaired, include Braille signage and text in large-sized fonts, and be equipped with an assistive listening system so that riders with hearing aids can communicate with the driver. Additionally, my legislation does not require any medallion owner to take a vehicle already in service off the road; it only applies to new vehicles being placed into service for the first time.
The Assembly has shown once again that they stand with New Yorkers with disabilities. I would hope the City Council will take their cue from us. City Council Member G. Oliver Koppell has introduced legislation which mandates that any new taxi design approved by the TLC must be wheelchair accessible. Surely, with 40 sponsors and a veto-proof majority, they can pass legislation that merely makes taxis wheelchair accessible.