----- Original Message -----
From: "My NYC.gov News" <My...@nyc.gov>
To: <coc...@worldnet.att.net>
Sent: Friday, November 14, 2008 5:01 PM
Subject: MAYOR BLOOMBERG ANNOUNCES NEW INCENTIVE / DISINCENTIVE PROGRAM TO REACH

GOAL OF GREEN TAXI FLEET

> November 14, 2008
> www.nyc.gov/2030

> MAYOR BLOOMBERG ANNOUNCES NEW INCENTIVE / DISINCENTIVE PROGRAM TO REACH GOAL
> OF GREEN TAXI FLEET

> Congressman Nadler and Council Member Yassky Introducing Federal and City
> Legislation to Increase the City's Ability to Enforce use of Green Taxis

> Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today announced a series of initiatives to increase
> the use of fuel efficient and environmentally friendly taxicabs, through new
> financial incentives and legislative initiatives.  The Mayor's announcement
> follows a recent decision in Federal District Court that prohibited the City
> from mandating the use of cleaner, more fuel efficient taxicabs. The new
> program announced today offers financial incentives for taxi fleet owners to
> purchase fuel efficient vehicles and financial disincentives for the continue
> use of less efficient vehicles. The Mayor was joined at the announcement by
> Congressman Jerrold Nadler, Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) Chairman
> Matthew W. Daus, Council Member David Yassky, Richard Kassel of the Natural
> Resources Defense Council, Meir Yakuel, Co-Owner of the Yakuel Taxi Garage
> where the announcement was made, and Rati Sharma, a taxicab driver.

> "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 Mayor Bloomberg.  "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.  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."

> "The recent federal court decision to block the greening of New York City's
> taxis is, I believe, not in keeping with the original spirit of federal
> environmental legislation," said Rep. Nadler.  "Fuel efficient taxis don't
> simply represent a pie-in-the-sky futuristic luxury for New Yorkers but a
> present-day necessity which will produce a meaningful reduction in our city's
> carbon emissions.  Mayor Bloomberg's leadership on this issue warrants our
> support.  I intend to introduce legislation in Congress to amend federal law -
> specifically the Clean Air Act and the Energy Policy and Conservation Act - in
> order to give states and localities the discretion to set stronger standards
> in exactly these types of circumstances.  Green taxis will be a win-win
> scenario for everybody."

> "Our goal from the beginning was to get fuel efficient taxis on the road using
> whatever appropriate methods required to achieve our goal," said TLC
> Commissioner Daus.  "The new program will incentivize the purchase of cleaner
> vehicles, while ensuring taxi drivers are not penalized because a taxicab
> owner is reluctant to make the wiser purchase of a hybrid vehicle.  The 1,551
> hybrid taxicabs already on the road have saved their drivers lots of money,
> while contributing to cleaner air.  This incentive package will help us take
> these advances to the next level, and help our city become a cleaner,
> healthier place."

> "Greening the New York City taxi fleet is an absolute no-brainer," said
> Council Member Yassky.  "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."

> "Because they save drivers money, cut pollution on our sidewalks, and reduce
> our dependence on oil, hybrid taxis are a win-win-win for New York City," said
> Richard Kassel, director of the Natural Resources Defense Council's Clean
> Fuels and Vehicles Project.  "It's time for Washington to update its rules so
> the City's hybrid taxi program can move forward."

> Individual taxi owners have already begun to voluntarily upgrade to fuel
> efficient vehicles because of the substantial fuel cost savings.  The program
> unveiled today targets the fleet owners, who do not pay fuel costs and
> comprise approximately 25% of taxicabs in New York City.

> Incentives and Disincentives

> The purpose of the incentive and disincentive program is to encourage fleet
> owners to purchase fuel efficient cars, while holding drivers harmless for the
> decision of the fleet owners.

> The TLC regulates "lease caps," the amount a fleet or taxi owner may charge
> for the use of a taxicab or medallion license.

> The incentive program will allow fleet owners to increase the lease cap fee
> charged to drivers in fuel efficient vehicles by $3 per shift, which will
> offset the increased cost of purchasing a fuel efficient vehicle.  The driver,
> while paying the increased lease cap fee, will still see significant savings
> due to the reduced fuel costs, which he or she pays.  Taxicab drivers in fuel
> efficient vehicles achieve an average fuel savings of at least $15 per shift,
> which adds up to about $5,000 a year.

> The incentive will generate approximately $2,000 per year, per vehicle for
> fleet owners.

> To further incentivize the use of fuel efficient taxicabs, the TLC will
> propose to decrease the lease cap fee an owner can charge a driver by $12 per
> shift if the vehicle is a Crown Victoria or another non-fuel efficient
> vehicle, costing fleet owners approximately $8,500 per year, per vehicle.

> The TLC will strictly enforce taxi leases to ensure drivers are not charged
> any additional fees by fleet owners.

> The new lease caps will affect all taxicabs that are leased out for shift
> work, except accessible vehicles.

> The new regulations will be presented for public hearing and vote at an
> upcoming public meeting of the TLC and phase-in options will be considered.

> Legislation

> Congressman Nadler will sponsor legislation supported by the City that will
> amend the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to, at the very least, allow
> local governments to set fuel efficiency standards for the for-hire vehicles
> they license.

> Council Member Yassky will explore City Council legislation that will examine
> reducing the required retirement age for Crown Victoria taxicabs and
> increasing the required retirement age for fuel efficient vehicles to further
> incentivize the use of fuel efficient vehicles.

> Legal Strategy

> The City will not appeal the decision made last month by Judge Paul A. Crotty
> in the United States Southern District.

> In July, the City filed an amicus brief in the appeal of Green Mountain v.
> Vermont.  Later this month, the City will also file an amicus brief in
> California v. EPA.  The outcome in these cases could put to rest the ability
> of states and localities to set more stringent standards for passenger cars on
> their streets.  The States of California, New York, and Vermont along, with
> several environmental groups, are all parties in these cases.

> Approximately 13,000 yellow taxicabs operate in New York City everyday,
> including 1,551 fuel efficient taxicabs.

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