7/30/2019 2013-1-9 Daily News Taxis

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Law requiring yellow taxicabs be wheelchair accessibletakes step forward in City Council'Historic' development as bill heads for committee vote after languishing in Transportation Committee

BY PETE DONOHUE/ NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

A proposed law mandating all yellow taxicabs be wheelchair-accessible is headed for a City Councilcommittee vote a development one leading advocate called historic.

Councilman Oliver Koppell on Tuesday invoked a rarely cited procedural rule called the sponsorsprivilege to force action within months on the bill that has languished in the Tansportation Committee.

If that panel approves it, the measure could go to the full Council by the end of May under Council rules.Enough is enough, said Koppell, who introduced the law in November 2010 but was unable to getpowerbrokers to schedule it for a committee vote.

This is a matter of civil rights for the disabled community. Assemblyman Micah Kellner (D-Manhattan), a leading advocate for those with handicaps, called the breakthrough a historic moment forthe civil rights of people with disabilities. Its huge, Kellner said.

People with disabilities deserve access to transportation. Only 232 cabs in the fleet of more than 13,000yellow taxis are wheelchair-accessible.

The city last year awarded Nissan a $1 billion Taxi of Tomorrow contract with the exclusive right tomanufacture a new generation of cabs.

While the city plans to expand the fleet with the addition of 2,000 accessible taxis, the Bloombergadministration has said a mandated full-fleet conversion isnt necessary to provide adequate service.Several ongoing lawsuits challenge the citys taxi plans, alleging violations of the Americans withDisabilities Act. The Bloomberg administration declined to comment Tuesday.

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn (D-Manhattan) and Transportation Committee Chairman JamesVacca (D-Bronx) declined to say why the bill was never scheduled for a vote.

They also declined to comment specifically on Koppells maneuver or the bill itself. When introduced, thelegislation garnered 36 sponsors, Koppell said. The expansion of the fleet with 2,000 accessible cabswould generate an estimated $600 million for the city, which would sell ownership medallions.

The sale was approved by the state Legislature in a deal Gov. Cuomos office brokered. Quinn and Vaccareleased a joint statement saying they believe that taxi service should be accessible to all and havesupported efforts to increase accessibility.

Noting the pending lawsuits, the two elected officials also said, As worthy as the goal of full accessibilityis, we think it best to proceed with caution and not put $600 million dollars at greater risk than it alreadyis.