[Update Below] That "Taxi of Tomorrow" that Mayor Bloomberg so happily showed off last month may not be hitting the streets as fast as Nissan and the TLC might hope. In the latest blow to the handicap inaccessible vehicle, thorn in Bloomberg's side Comptroller John Liu has written to the mayor making a strong argument that the city needs to rethink the contract or prepare to have it sent back by his office.
"The new contract for taxis presents us with a historic opportunity to right a wrong that New Yorkers with disabilities have been fighting to achieve for nearly two decades," Liu said in a statement regarding the letter. "Requiring cabs to have independent passenger climate controls is nice, but when you fail to make them accessible to a growing number of New Yorkers, it's not just a slap in the face, it's illegal. We will send back any plan that does not uphold the civil rights demanded by the Americans with Disabilities Act."
The so-called Taxi of Tomorrow has been dealing with handicap accessibility since it was first announced. The Department of Justice has already come out saying the city, via the TLC, is discriminating against the handicapped by only offering 231 accessible vehicles (out of a fleet of 13,000)—which a federal court agreed with. Since then the TLC has approved another accessible cab and made promises to retrofit the new ones to be accessible. But that is not the same as making the whole fleet accessible as they upgrade, which is what Liu and others are calling for. After all, if freaking London can do it, why can't we?
Press reps for the mayor's office and the TLC did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Update: The TLC responds to Liu with this statement:
“The Comptroller’s actions today are both mysterious and clearly ill-informed. First, the TLC is in full compliance with ADA, and will remain in compliance. The District Court ruling has been stayed and is on appeal, and we will comply with all judicial rulings. But that said, it’s a simple fact that we’ve made more progress on wheelchair accessible transportation options in the past year than anyone has in the last three decades. Nissan is producing a wheelchair accessible version of the NV200 Taxi of Tomorrow, the City will create an additional 2,000 wheelchair accessible medallion licenses, we’re on the cusp of launching a demand responsive wheelchair accessible taxi dispatch system, and a full 20% of all the new Boro Taxis will be wheelchair accessible. The TLC has also greatly incentivized the purchase of accessible vehicles by adding several years to their mandatory retirement age, and subsidizing the cost of accessible Boro Taxis by $15,000 per vehicle, on top of a $10,000 State tax credit.
“Lastly, in response to our years of challenging taxi fleets to do more to facilitate service to wheelchair users, it was a common complaint of those fleets that there were no viable wheelchair accessible vehicles for them to use, but now the TLC has approved the MV1, and has an accessible NV200 on the way and we are strongly encouraging them to make use of these new options.”
Further, a spokesperson from the City's Law Department adds their take on Liu's letter:
"While the Comptroller and the others who participated in his press event today are free to espouse their policy position, Comptroller Liu may not ignore his responsibilities under the New York City Charter to further these positions. Unfortunately, he's proposing to do just that. The law limits the issues upon which the Comptroller can refuse to register a contract. None of the matters he raised today -- including ADA compliance -- would constitute lawful grounds for refusing to do so."
Update 2: Not to be outdone, Valerie Budzik, Deputy Comptroller for Legal Affairs/General Counsel, responds to the City Law Department by saying, “It is absurd to suggest that the City Comptroller should register a contract that is discriminatory and in violation of federal civil rights law."
