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New York City Transit is the life blood of New York City, moving more than 187.9 million passengers per month. However, the Lexington Avenue Subway Line is currently over 150% of capacity. As the City grows we must improve capacity and investigate transportation alternatives. We must find alternative transportation routes for residents of Roosevelt Island by modifying current subway service, trams, ferries, and even building additional subway stations.

While we are building any improvements, including the long overdue Second Avenue Subway, we must make sure that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is transparent by making its construction plans available to the people, open to review and suggestions from the community, and accountable should final decisions be made by the MTA without public comment.

While the Mayor's Congestion Pricing plan may not have been enacted, it is important not to let a greener New York fall by the wayside. As your City Council member I will work with you to implement initiatives that preserve our environment, improve transportation and make New York City a clean, affordable, and accessible place to live.

PSFK How a New York City Taxi App Will Impact Uber And Lyft by Simone Splika

http://www.psfk.com/2014/12/how-a-new-york-city-taxi-app-will-impact-uber-and-ly...

 

 

A new legislation will require New York City to have its own app for hailing cabs and act as a single-stop platform for drivers. The taxi app will incorporate third party services such as Lyft and Uber so drivers can respond to any customer in need of a ride and riders will be guaranteed a metered fare. The launch of such a significant initiative will surely disrupt the nature of the car sharing economy by leveling the playing field for all drivers and forcing third party applications to display available cabs.

City Council Member and software developer Ben Kallos introduced the bill with the hope that a free New York branded Universal E-Hail App would leverage technology rather than force companies out of business by making their apps illegal. In a press release, Kallos proposed that a centralized system would offer equal competition for all parties, including the companies, riders and drivers.

The citywide app is designed to promote availability for passengers to find a ride, offering up to 13,637 yellow cabs and 6,000 green cabs across multiple platforms. The entirely would create a more seamless system for riders to e-hail any type of car, whether its yellow, black or sports a pink moustache.

Issue: 
Technology
Transportation

New York Post Hail, Hail, the Cab's All Here by Post Editorial Board

http://nypost.com/2014/12/14/hail-hail-the-cabs-all-here/

 

Note the latest proposal from freshman City Councilmember Ben Kallos. The Upper East Side Democrat wants the Taxi and Limousine Commission to approve a city-branded e-hail app. This would give yellow cabs the technology to take on Uber and others on their own turf.

Yellow cabs wouldn’t be required to use the app, but considering the impact Uber’s app has had on the traditional yellow-cab model, they would be foolish not to.

Kallos’ idea is good as far as it goes and contrasts favorably with how other municipalities have reacted to an industry disrupter like Uber. In India, for example, New Delhi has just banned Uber.

Issue: 
Technology
Transportation