Hello, this is Dawood, Founder & Managing Editor of AutoMarketplace.
Although I don’t appear in the video, yesterday I attended the NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission (TLC) Board meeting and vote at 33 Beaver Street. I met TLC Board Commissioners—including Chair David Do—as well as TLC press staff and New York Taxi Workers Alliance (NYTWA) members, including their long-time leader, Bhairavi Desai.
The meeting offered a moment of celebration for taxi drivers and small medallion owners, which I’ll explain shortly.
At AutoMarketplace, we value detail and strive for balanced reporting. Like many others, we face occasional conflicts—whether from investments or political leanings—but we’re committed to transparency and helping you reach your own conclusions, even when they differ from ours. Disagreements in the comments section are a sign of success.
We’re not afraid to critique—or commend—policymakers, the TLC, Uber, Lyft, medallion owners, driver advocates, insurers, journalists, and others. In today’s increasingly virtual world, it’s also important to step away from the keyboard and meet people in real life (IRL).
This approach won’t make our coverage “soft.” Direct engagement strengthens both our journalism and investor insights.
I encourage more drivers and industry participants to attend TLC meetings and connect with stakeholders IRL. We also plan to launch a series of AutoMarketplace-sponsored in-person events.
Now, on to today’s article…
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ATLAS WAV Yellow Cab Loans; NYTWA Helps Find $5 Million!
Cindi Davidson, TLC Assistant Commissioner, Program Planning & Management, presented an easy-to-understand 8-slide presentation on the ‘Accessible Taxi Loan Assistance Service’ Pilot Program, or ATLAS.
NYTWA led efforts to create a $5 million low-interest loan program for 100 individual owner-operators (e.g., drivers who own one taxi medallion and operate their own cab), supported by the Disability Opportunity Fund (DOF), Empire State Development, and the TLC. Toyota Motor Corporation also agreed to participate and, as previously reported, designated Hillside Toyota as the official dealer for ATLAS. (AutoMarketplace and Hillside Toyota have a business relationship.)
As the video and transcript reveal, TLC Chair David Do gave direct credit to NYTWA and its leader Bhairavi Desai for spearheading the effort, which facilitated the creation of ATLAS. At a time when the cost of wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAVs) is increasing (e.g., $80,000+), the medallion fleet must meet a 50% WAV court-ordered requirement, and the yellow cab sector’s recovery remains in its early stages after a historic debt-fueled collapse, this low-interest loan program—combined with a recently approved, larger Taxi Improvement Fund (TIF) hack-up grant—couldn’t have come at a better time.
To give you a sense of how compelling the offer is, NYTWA laid out three expected loan terms based on a $46,711 loan (i.e., $81,711 all-in vehicle cost including taxes and fees, minus a $30,000 TIF grant and a $5,000 warranty). The NYC TLC also shared very similar figures in its presentation.
We still need to confirm what Toyota’s warranty covers and whether it remains fully valid when the vehicle is used as a NYC taxi. However, NYTWA’s illustrative example shows an ATLAS loan without the driver purchasing the $5,000 warranty. Please also note that the driver would need to pay $4,500 out of pocket, covering a down payment ($1,500), initial full coverage insurance payment ($2,500), and meter shop fee ($500).
3 years at 2%: $1,337.92
5 years at 3%: $839.33
7 years at 4%: $638.48
Currently, it costs the U.S. government—widely considered a global safe-haven financial guarantor—more to borrow money than it would cost a NYC taxi driver under ATLAS!
Who can apply for ATLAS WAV taxi loans?
On Slides #5 and #6 of TLC’s presentation it lays out the basic criteria to apply for these subsidized WAV taxi loans.
Individual (or principal) who owns one taxi medallion.
Current vehicle must be retired and replaced with an accessible taxi in September 2025.
No outstanding fines with the TLC or the City.
If medallion owner received MRP grant / loan, must be current.
If approved by the TLC and DOF, willing to sign an agreement with the TLC to receive $30,000 upfront and forgo operational TIF payments to lower the cost of vehicle loan.
How do you apply to ATLAS? When does the program launch? How many people can participate?
If interested in learning more about ATLAS, please contact the TLC Owner / Driver Resource Center at ODRC@tlc.nyc.gov with your name, medallion number, and TLC driver’s license number.
TLC will email medallion owners with more information when the pilot program officially launches this summer.
✅ TLC Passes New Vision Zero Rules
The TLC Board also passed revised Vision Zero-related rules. For more details about these rules, please refer to this article.
⚡ More Uber & Lyft Trips for EV and WAV drivers? Toyota eWAV?
We also think it’s worth mentioning comments by TLC Chair David Do and a question raised by TLC Board Commissioner Sarah Kaufman.
At the beginning of the meeting, Chair Do—as he also mentioned in his latest Commissioner’s Corner—encouraged NYC TLC-licensed drivers currently shopping for a new / replacement vehicle to consider buying an EV or WAV (“a very, very smart choice”), given Green Rides requirements. He noted the availability of cheaper used EVs and the expectation that Uber and Lyft will dispatch more trips to EVs and WAVs.
While newly built and planned city fast-charging infrastructure was mentioned, the well-known shortage of fast chargers to support over 100,000 NYC electric for-hire vehicles (eFHVs) was not addressed. In our opinion, this shortage has hampered EV adoption among many NYC drivers and fleets, especially since most do not have home garages.
Board Commissioner Sarah Kaufman also asked an interesting question about whether Toyota had indicated any interest in manufacturing an all-electric WAV (eWAV). Chair Do responded that he had spoken with Toyota representatives at the recent New York International Auto Show and, while they expressed interest, no launch is planned in the near future.
Transcript Summary
Zero Emissions & Accessibility Goals: The NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission (TLC) announced its goal to achieve a fully zero-emissions fleet by 2027, with high-volume fleets reaching 100% zero emissions or wheelchair accessible by 2030. Over 20% of current high-volume trips are already in EVs or wheelchair-accessible vehicles.
Incentives for Early EV Adoption: Drivers switching early to EVs or WAVs will be able to access more trips, according to TLC Chair Do. Financial incentives like federal tax credits and dropping used EV prices were highlighted to encourage early adoption.
New ATLAS Pilot Program: The Accessible Taxi Loan Assistance Service (ATLAS) pilot was launched, offering low-interest loans and $30,000 grants to help small medallion owners purchase accessible vehicles. The program secured 100 Toyota Siennas with accessible conversions.
Rule Changes Passed: The Commission approved revised penalties for certain violations, balancing Vision Zero safety goals with drivers’ financial challenges. They also passed the resolution to officially adopt the ATLAS pilot.
Support & Collaboration Acknowledged: Special thanks were extended to the Disability Opportunity Fund, New York Taxi Workers Alliance, Toyota, and other partners for their roles in the pilot’s development. Commissioners emphasized this as a milestone for supporting small medallion owners and accessibility.
To directly access the NYC TLC Board meeting video and presentation click here.
Also available on YouTube ⬇️
TABLE OF CONTENTS
0:00 Introductory Remarks 7:13 Cindi Davidson, TLC Assistant Commissioner, presentation on ‘Accessible Taxi Loan Assistance Service’ pilot program, or ATLAS 21:42 TLC Board voting and other commentary (e.g., base application approvals)
