👤 NYC TLC Board Disappears For Majority Of Public Meeting
More than half of "public" TLC Board meeting yesterday was behind closed doors in "executive session" to discuss Taxis For All (wheelchair accessibility) & NYTWA lawsuits against TLC
More than half of public TLC Board meeting was held in “executive session” to discuss recent lawsuits against regulator
First half of meeting was mostly about ongoing renovations of TLC’s Woodside vehicle inspection facility, which is expected to be complete after 2028
New Woodside facility will have 70 electric vehicle (EV) chargers, including 30 fast chargers and 40 Level 2 chargers
TLC is still operating Woodside facility as construction goes on
The public, voting-only NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission (TLC) Board meeting yesterday was even more mysterious than we initially thought. Firstly, the TLC Board did not vote on Taxi Improvement Fund (TIF) changes as we speculated.
During the public TLC Board meeting yesterday, October 18th meeting minutes and base applications were approved. Following those votes, Evan Hines, TLC’s Deputy Commissioner of Operations, People & Innovation, gave a very insightful presentation on renovation plans for TLC’s Woodside vehicle inspection facility (see below for more details).
After Mr. Hines’ presentation another Board vote was held and the “public” TLC Board meeting essentially went offline or into “executive session” to discuss two legal matters.
The Taxis For All Campaign v. NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) - related to motion to enforce a 2013 wheelchair accessible settlement agreement that required the TLC to make the yellow medallion taxi fleet 50% wheelchair accessible.
New York Taxi Workers Alliance et al v. David Do et al - related to reinstatement of EV exemption to FHV License Pause (“TLC Plate Cap”) on October 18, 2023. Note, TLC’s February 2024 FHV License Review has determined no new FHV Licenses (TLC Plates) are currently needed, excluding the wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV) exemption. However, the NYTWA lawsuit remains active.
After a little more than half an hour the TLC Board came back for about a minute to end the Board meeting. For the record, all TLC Board Commissioners were present, except Kenneth C. Mitchell, who occupies the Board seat from Staten Island and whose term, similar to TLC Chair David Do and Commissioner Kenneth Chan, has expired.
Article continues after advertisement
TLC Woodside Vehicle Inspection Facility Renovation
Evan Hines, TLC’s Deputy Commissioner of Operations, People & Innovation, gave a formal presentation on the ongoing renovation at TLC’s Safety and Emissions Inspection Facility located at 24-55 B.Q.E. West, Woodside, NY 11377. Notably, the renovation includes plans for 70 EV chargers, including 30 fast chargers.
The presentation was followed by a Q&A session with TLC Board Members. We attach a clip of Deputy Commissioner Hines’ presentation to the TLC Board below, as well as a pdf of his presentation.
The renovation is expected to be complete after 2028 and the facility is still operating as construction goes on.