πΆββοΈπ΄ββοΈ NYC Will Create More "Car Free" Spaces...Should The TLC Industry Be Nervous?
More NYC residents & organizations are calling for "car free" spaces, where people can walk and ride bikes or scooters. What are the impacts on the NYC for-hire transportation (π TLC) industry?
AutoMarketplace NYC covers the for-hire transportation industry and automotive news. Check out AutoMarketplace on YouTube βΆοΈ
β±οΈQuick Summary
πΆββοΈπ΄ββοΈ Transportation Alternatives NYC 25x25 campaign combined with existing goals of NYCβs Vision Zero program & other national transportation initiatives, all point to more βcar-freeβ βπβ urban spaces
Recent incidents, including pedestrians being hit by a yellow cab in Manhattan (Note: the taxi may have swerved onto the sidewalk to avoid a bicyclist (βnot at faultβ)), have also brought more attention to the issue
ππ€ While NYC TLC drivers maybe nervous or fearful of fewer roads they can access, in reality it will likely benefit the industry. Most notably, itβll reduce private car ownership / use in the City & reduce congestion
π£οΈπ€ It is important that NYC TLC drivers and other NYC for-hire transportation industry participants have a voice at the table and track developments related to reducing streets that TLC vehicles can access
We believe NYC TLC drivers that are involved in serious or multiple AT FAULT incidents involving pedestrians or bicyclists may also be effectively kicked out the industry as their insurance costs become prohibitive
ππ Goals around reducing congestion and increasing car free spaces also likely points to the continuation of the FHV License Moratorium (aka βTLC Plate Capβ)
In a recently launched animated video (see above), Transportation Alternatives (TA) NYC 25x25 campaign lays out how NYC streets can be transformed. TA, an NYC-based organization founded in 1973, believes in a reimagined streetscape with less cars, more pedestrian spaces, bike / scooter paths & public transport-centric streets.
βOur recovery can begin, in part, by reimagining our largest public asset β New York Cityβs 6,300 miles of streets and three million free parking spacesβ¦.By repurposing 25% of current driving and parking space, the future leaders of New York City could create more than 13 Central Parksβ¦β
- Transportation Alternatives (TA) 25x25
In addition, the influential National Safety Council (NSC) recently stated it would increasingly advocate for roadway safety focusing on pedestrian and cyclists, citing nearly 43,000 roadway deaths π in America in 2021. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA), the ~43,000 vehicle-related deaths represented a 10.5% increase from 2020 (itβs worth mentioning total vehicle miles travelled increased by a similar %). Some statistics of note were fatalities on urban roads and those involving pedestrians were up 16% and 13%, respectively.
One part of the NSC report we also found really interesting related to their findings that urban environments (i.e., NYC) would likely NOT see the widespread use of autonomous vehicles (AV) in the next 20 years π. However, by changing urban landscapes themselves via separating vehicles from pedestrians & cyclists, it could form the foundation of AV-capable urban streets.
βDespite corporate predictions, no one interviewed for this report expects autonomous cars and trucks to be widely available in American cities during the next 20 years. Urban environments contain too many βedge casesβ β imagine a woman shooing birds away with a broom β that machine learning cannot reliably handle.
One potential way to hasten autonomous vehicle (AV) deployment would be to simplify the urban landscape by physically restricting pedestrians and cyclists from streets dedicated to cars. Such efforts bring to mind the creation of βjaywalkingβ as a crime 100 years ago. They should be resisted.β
- National Safety Council (NSC) Report
NYC Vision Zero, Recent Incidences & Increased Vehicle Surveillance
Just in the last several weeks there have been several notable NYC traffic incidents, including one involving a yellow cab in Manhattan.
On June 20th, a yellow cab near Broadway & 29th St., jumped the curb onto the sidewalk striking several pedestrians (π©π©NOTE: According to news reports, the yellow taxi may have NOT been at fault and swerved to avoid a bicyclist that DID NOT have right of way, but the incident is still UNDER INVESTIGATION). Tragically, it was reported that two women were critically injured, each having a leg amputated.
In response to this increasing traffic violence, a term often used now to describe incidences involving vehicles and pedestrians or bicyclists, the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) and Mayorβs office have been more vocal about plans to make streets safer, including the rollout of 24/ 7 / 365 speed cameras beginning in August.
Should NYC TLC Drivers Be Nervous?
Some reactions to this article thus far from our readership may look something likeβ¦
Wonβt more βcar freeβ spaces be bad for the NYC TLC industry?
Does the City want to ban taxis & TLC-plated vehicles from NYC streets?
Less street space for vehicles will actually increase traffic congestion!
Aggressive bicyclists, who often donβt obey traffic rules, are causing havoc!
Passengers might find it annoying that they increasingly canβt have βdoor-to-doorβ trips anymore and therefore opt to not take an NYC for-hire vehicle.
e-Bikes, mopeds and scooters that can go 15+ mph will cause more issues, including serious public safety issues, and need to be more regulated.
Etc.
Firstly, we hear you π!
However, we think net-net ONE of the main aims of all the organizations mentioned above is to REMOVE PRIVATELY-OWNED VEHICLES from NYC streets. In fact, one could argue, or at least think, many of Transportation Alternativeβs (TA) proposals might promote the use of highly utilized City vehicles that transport multiple people in a day, such as yellow cabs and other TLC-plated cars. TAβs vision might also make intercity traffic flow faster and smoother as well.
That being said, we also believe organizations like TA can make it clear on their website and in their literature that they arenβt trying to attack the NYC TLC industry. After all, the NYC for-hire transportation industry directly & indirectly employs 100,000s of New Yorkers, so they also need to be more cognizant and responsibly engage the community. We havenβt observed that engagement, at least in public media. To be fair though, organizations like TA have also not overly demonized the TLC industry either. However, very broad and unnuanced statements (see below) make many in the TLC industry nervousπ€π.
Everyone, at least those we know in the TLC industry, wants to reduce traffic violence, but organizations like TA must also take a more PUBLICLY collaborative approach with TLC drivers and the overall industry. For example, working with TA to reduce the number of dangerous drivers behind the wheel of TLC-plated vehicles will not only reduce traffic violence, but actually reduce the cost of insurance for TLC drivers!
Working with TA to reduce the number of dangerous drivers behind the wheel of TLC-plated vehicles will not only reduce traffic violence, but actually reduce the cost of insurance for TLC drivers!
- AutoMarketplace.com Team
Other Things To Think About For The TLC Industry
Interestingly enough, Lyft & Uber are two of TAβs largest financial supporters. This actually makes a lot of sense given Lyft & Uber have bike & scooter businesses - Lyft runs CitiBike and Uber is a large investor in micromobility (scooters) leader Lime. In addition, both companies would benefit if private car ownership decreased in NYC.
TO BE CLEAR, Iβm also not saying itβs a crime for the companies to promote initiatives around car free spaces, but want to clearly show the additional incentives they have in promoting car free spaces.
Finally, it should be quite obvious that promoting car free spaces probably overlaps with promoting less overall cars in the City. Therefore, we also think the August FHV License Pause Determination (aka TLC Plate Cap) that will be published in September, will determine that no additional FHV Licenses (TLC plates) should be issued.
As always, let us know your thoughts below or by emailing us at info@automarketplace.com?
AutoMarketplace NYC covers the for-hire transportation industry and automotive news. Check out AutoMarketplace on YouTube βΆοΈ