40
VOL. 17, NO. 8 “The Voice of the NYC Transportation Industry.” AUGUST 2016 INSIDER (Continued on Page 4) EDITORIAL By David Pollack Chairwoman States: Make The Medallion More Of A Tradable Asset TAXI DAVE’S RADIO SHOW WOR-710AM 8:00 – 9:00 PM EVERY SUNDAY! Letters To The Editor Page 3 Insider News Page 6 Taxi Attorney By Michael Spevack Page 7 Puzzle Page 7 Commissioner’s Corner By Merra Joshi Page 12 The Expanding Transportation Network By Matthew Daus Page 13 Fantasy Vs Reality By Larry Fisher Page 15 Quotabel Quotes Page 15 Illegal Street Hail Law Must Be Enforced By Abe Mittleman Page 23 NYC Hotels Page 26 NYC Economy Page 27 & 28 Insider Directory Page 29 News From Around The World Page 36 (Continued on Page 4) NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission Hearing July 18, 2016 By Nat Goldbetter Recently, I attended a four hour trans- portation forum held at the New School on 12th Street in Manhattan. Panelists included the Chairwoman of the New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission (TLC)- Meera Joshi, speakers from the MTA, Port Authority, NYCity Depart- ment of Transportation (DOT), NYState DOT, Ydanis Rodriguez-Chairman of the NYCity Council Transportation Commit- tee, Congressman Nadler and Assembly members Weprin and Comrie. Additional panelists included Denise Richardson -Executive Director of The General Contractors Association of NY, and, I can’t forget to mention Bhairavi De- sai – Executive Director of the NYTaxi Workers Alliance. I also had the honor of speaking with Matthew Driscoll the Commissioner of the New York State Department of Transportation and key- note speaker. The subjects discussed by panelists varied from the Future of Taxis and Ride-Sharing, to Funding NY Transportation and Emerging Trends in Transportation. By far, the comments which hit home for me were those of TLC Chairwoman Meera Joshi. It is no secret that the values of NYC taxi medallion have dropped to lower levels over The July Taxi and Limou- sine Commission meeting held on July 18th had a relatively short but important agenda. The biggest issue on the agenda was the Commission voting on the Driver Fatigue Rule that had an extensive public discus- sion at the June 23rd meeting. The rule as it stands now will have a12 hour maximum shift on a daily basis and 72 hours per week. Owner drivers and drivers need not panic as the as the 12 hours, would be actual working hours and not consecutive hours but twelve hours of actual work- ing time. As pointed out in last month’s column, if you start work at 6:AM and work four hours and then go home for fours and return to work at 2:PM you still have eight hours to work. The total hours of 72 per week was a big issue at the hearing last month as many of those of us who spoke on that issue were disappointed. Please remember that the 72 hours can be spread out over 7

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Page 1: VOL. 17, NO. 8 “The Voice of the NYC Transportation ... · AUGUST 2016 † TAXI INSIDER † PAGE 1 VOL. 17, NO. 8 “The Voice of the NYC Transportation Industry.” AUGUST 2016

AUGUST 2016 • TAXI INSIDER • PAGE 1

VOL. 17, NO. 8 “The Voice of the NYC Transportation Industry.” AUGUST 2016

JULY 2010 • TAXI INSIDER • PAGE 1

INSIDER

(Continued on Page 4)

EDITORIALBy David Pollack

Chairwoman States:Make The Medallion More

Of A Tradable Asset

TAXI DAVE’SRADIO SHOW

WOR-710AM8:00 – 9:00 PMEVERY SUNDAY!

Letters To The EditorPage 3

•Insider News

Page 6•

Taxi AttorneyBy Michael Spevack

Page 7•

PuzzlePage 7

•Commissioner’s Corner

By Merra JoshiPage 12

•The Expanding

Transportation NetworkBy Matthew Daus

Page 13

Fantasy Vs RealityBy Larry Fisher

Page 15•

Quotabel QuotesPage 15

•Illegal Street Hail Law

Must Be EnforcedBy Abe Mittleman

Page 23•

NYC HotelsPage 26

•NYC EconomyPage 27 & 28

•Insider Directory

Page 29•

News From Around The WorldPage 36

(Continued on Page 4)

NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission HearingJuly 18, 2016

By Nat Goldbetter

Recently, I attended a four hour trans-portation forum held at the New School on 12th Street in Manhattan. Panelists included the Chairwoman of the New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission (TLC)- Meera Joshi, speakers from the MTA, Port Authority, NYCity Depart-ment of Transportation (DOT), NYState DOT, Ydanis Rodriguez-Chairman of the NYCity Council Transportation Commit-tee, Congressman Nadler and Assembly members Weprin and Comrie. Additional panelists included Denise Richardson -Executive Director of The General Contractors Association of NY, and, I can’t forget to mention Bhairavi De-

sai – Executive Director of the NYTaxi Workers Alliance. I also had the honor of speaking with Matthew Driscoll the Commissioner of the New York State Department of Transportation and key-note speaker. The subjects discussed by panelists varied from the Future of Taxis and Ride-Sharing, to Funding NY Transportation and Emerging Trends in Transportation.

By far, the comments which hit home for me were those of TLC Chairwoman

Meera Joshi. It is no secret that the values of NYC taxi medallion have dropped to lower levels over

The July Taxi and Limou-sine Commission meeting held on July 18th had a relatively short but important agenda. The biggest issue on the agenda was the Commission voting on the Driver Fatigue Rule that had an extensive public discus-sion at the June 23rd meeting. The rule as it stands now will have a12 hour maximum shift

on a daily basis and 72 hours per week. Owner

drivers and drivers need not panic as the as the 12 hours, would be actual working hours and not consecutive hours but twelve hours of actual work-ing time. As pointed out in last month’s column, if you start work at 6:AM and work four hours and then go home for fours and return to work at 2:PM you still have eight hours to work.

The total hours of 72 per week was a big issue at the hearing last month as many of those of us who spoke on that issue were disappointed. Please remember that the 72 hours can be spread out over 7

Page 2: VOL. 17, NO. 8 “The Voice of the NYC Transportation ... · AUGUST 2016 † TAXI INSIDER † PAGE 1 VOL. 17, NO. 8 “The Voice of the NYC Transportation Industry.” AUGUST 2016

PAGE 2 • TAXI INSIDER • AUGUST 2016

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Page 3: VOL. 17, NO. 8 “The Voice of the NYC Transportation ... · AUGUST 2016 † TAXI INSIDER † PAGE 1 VOL. 17, NO. 8 “The Voice of the NYC Transportation Industry.” AUGUST 2016

AUGUST 2016 • TAXI INSIDER • PAGE 3

Publisher &Editor-in-Chief

David Pollack

ColumnistsMarc Albert

Matthew Daus, Esq.Tony FaleseLarry Fisher

Nat GoldbetterIra Goldstein, Esq.

Abe MittlemanAlan Plafker

Michael Spevack, Esq.

Layout & GraphicsDragonfl y Graphics LLC

Taxi Insider14 Alexander Drive

Washingtonville, NY 10992Phone: (718) 706-TAXI(8294)

—E-mail:[email protected]

Copyright © 2016 by TAXI INSIDER. All rights reserved. Neither this newspaper nor any part therof may be reproduced, copied, or transmitted in any form, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, mi-crofi lming, recording or by any information retrieving system without the express written permission of the publishers. The copyright is extended to the design and text created for advertisements. This publication will not be responsible for errors in advertise-ment beyond the cost of the space occupied by the error. Bylined articles represent the sole opinion of the writer and are not neces-sarily in accordance with the views of TAXI INSIDER.

This Publication reserves the right to limit or refuse advertising it deems objec-tionable.

TAXI INSIDER is published monthly at a subscription rate of $48.00 per year.

JULY 2010 • TAXI INSIDER • PAGE 1

INSIDERLETTERS

(Continued on Page 20)

NYPD DisrespectsTaxi Drivers

Dear Taxi Dave, I have owned a medallion since 1987. Taxi

drivers face abuse from NYPD for no reason and my personal incident shows one example of no understanding or caring about taxi drivers. I was stopped on John Street between WIlliams and Water with a fare from LaGuardia Airport and we just arrived at our destination. She was a very old woman. While she was going to pay by credit card, I got out of my taxi, took her luggage out of the trunk and at the same time a police car turned on his lights. When I got back to the drivers side of my taxi the police vehicle turned on his siren. I could not move on this one way street and the police officer came over to my taxi window and demanded my license. I told him that my pas-senger, the older woman was still paying by credit card and her luggage is right outside the door on the sidewalk. After she exited my taxi, the police officer followed me and stopped me three blocks away. He gave me a ticket for not yielding to an emergency vehicle. When he gave me the summons, I asked for my registration back and he intention-ally left kepping my registration.

Janna Stroe

More And More StickersDear Taxi Dave,

Lately I’ve noticed that black cars have more and more stickers on them , trying to authenticate themselves , but even if they put stickers on every inch of their car, their still doing wrong when they use the ehail to act like taxis.

Michael Simon

Employee v PrivateContractor

Dear Taxi Dave,Given the dire situation the yellow taxi industry

finds itself in these days I think they should follow the example of the real estate company Redfin. An article by Nick Wimgfield published in The New York Times July 10, 2016 issue. It reported that ten years ago this company hired employees with full benefits and not as private contractors and are doing very well. I’m of the opinion that the yellow taxi industry should go the same rout, given the fact that Uber and other app hailing interlopers have deep pockets and can buy all the New York politicians they want. These app companies will not hire drivers as employees as they are strong believers of the gig economy.

Virgilio

Inside Or Out Dear Taxi Dave,

The exclusive right of taxi medallions is street hail.

What does that mean?To be quite simple , that if your outside and

you need a car , that’s a street hail by ehail, hand or any other method of signaling.

But it doesn’t apply to hailing a car if your inside, a restaurant or home . That was I believe ,the intention of the legislation.

The law has to be explicit in demanding that

ehailing companies mention to their customers that to ehail a black car you must be inside, if the City of New York lives up to its promise to medallion cabs.

An ehail is a hail but it is not always a street hail.Michael Simon

Think Outside The BoxDear Taxi Dave,

The yellow taxi industry is not thinking out of the box. Now they are trying to be like Uber, again. They are implementing group riding. Upper east side riders will not the entertain the thought of sharing a cab ride to save money, good luck with that. I doubt these riders will share a taxi ride even in a spacious Ford Escalade which Uber can pro-vide with ease. You guys have to stop mimicking the behemoth that is Uber, 60b is a lot of money to fight against. Try to do what Uber will never do “HIRE DRIVERS AS EMPLOYEES”. From where I’m sitting I don’t see any other way out of your predicament. As I said before 60 billion is a lot of money to fight against not to mention how many greedy politicians can bought, cheap.

Virgilio

Time And ElectronicSignally

Dear Taxi Dave,Ehailers cannot offer an arrangement to have

their services not be arranged. That is trickery and not permitted by NEW

YORK law. A signal that is not arranged is a hail and reserved for taxi medallions in NYC.

Time defines the difference of the identity of the signal .

If I want a car for my brother in 45 minutes then that’s an arrangement. If I want a car for my brother right now then that’s a hail.

It’s common sense that there is a difference in what the electronic signally is , depending on how long it takes to get the car.

It doesn’t matter whether or not I hired a com-pany to supply that service beforehand. If it illegal it’s Illegal.

Michael Simon

Democratic ConventionCongresswoman Marcia L. FudgeChair, Democratic National Convention2344 Rayburn House Office BuildingWashington, D.C. 20515 Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-BlakeSecretary, Democratic National Committee250 City HallBaltimore, MD 21202

Dear Congresswoman Fudge andMayor Rawlings-Blake,

I am writing to express my deep disappointment regarding the Democratic National Committee’s lucrative partnership with Uber – a company that discriminates against wheelchair users. The DNC should immediately apologize for engaging in this tone deaf and offensive business deal.

Without any public input, the DNC accepted a

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PAGE 4 • TAXI INSIDER • AUGUST 2016

TAXI DAVE’SRADIO SHOW

WOR-710AM EVERY SUNDAY!8:00 – 9:00 PM

Chairwoman States(Continued from Page 1)

the past year or so. That said, the Chairwoman’s positive comments regarding loosening regulation to make the purchase of medallions more appealing for investors and easier for current owners to transfer, was a bright light on the dimly lit New School stage. Below are some of the Chairwoman’s comments that I know you will find interesting regarding Medallions, Drivers, Ride- Share and Accessibility.

Drivers: “We dictate what the income of a taxi driver is because we set the fare on how much a cost of a taxi ride is and we set the maximum amount that anyone can lease a car and a medallion out to a driver. So we can figure out what the income of a taxi driver is. Doing that analysis we know that over the last six or seven months compared to last year, there has been a decrease of about 3 – 5% in income for taxi drivers, that’s not accounting for the fact that people may actually be leasing them out at lower lease caps. We do our analysis assuming that everyone is leasing at the lease cap. But what we don’t know, that doesn’t count for a certain percentage of drivers, the economics the income potential of our new-est drivers in the FHV industry, the ones that are driving a lot of the apps where we don’t set the fare, we don’t have the ability now to their driver’s income. But that’s not to say that is something that the future regulatory scheme might have to encompass a broader look into the economics for all drivers not just the taxi sector. “

Medallions: “A lot of things go into the factoring of the medallions: Some of them have to with the fact that it is a closed market, some of them have to do with financing ar-rangements, some have to do with the concentration and who owns medal-lions and financing is linked to that. But in a lot of ways the medallion system would probably get a boost just from becoming more like every other market and having liquidity like any other market. And there are lots of things that are today in our own law that stymie that. There are bureaucratic regulations for tort letters and all kinds of thing I could bore you with that probably are not necessary anymore and really they make it a closed market. That’s not

attractive for the investors. Taxi is a brand, everybody knows about it , but a lot of investors are scared to come in because of all the obstacles there are to getting into buying and selling medallions. So that’s another area where I can see the regulator working with (counsel), making the medallion more of a tradable asset so that people who are in the market can trade it and ….invest in the market.”

Ride-Share: “From our perspective, there is not a distinction between taxi and ride-share. All of it is a service where you pay the driver to take you from one place to another. And you can do it by Smartphone, you can do it by sticking your hand in the air, you can do it by calling a traditional base but the risks and the responsibilities are identical. So we look at this as one service and we regulate accordingly. That means we regulate consistently whether you are an Uber driver, or an Uber vehicle, or a taxi vehicle, you are going to come under our regulatory scheme. You are going to have be inspected by our in-spectors. There are driver standards that apply across the board. If you drive in any one of these sectors we are going to do criminal background checks, fi n-gerprinted, fi tness reviews, your DMV record, outstanding parking tickets. This is the same kind of scrutiny that every member of the public deserves when provided a service. So we don’t see a distinction between rideshare and taxi. And actually ride-share is not really in our vocabulary. They are all For-Hire vehicles.”

Accessibility: “We now have over 500 taxi in circulation. On the green taxi side…. We have about 800 acces-sible green taxis in circulation and we are looking to bring more and more on. And what links all these together, because we know going out in the street putting your hand out is very convenient and truly on demand in the middle of Manhattan , but it’s not quite as on-demand if you are in the boroughs or other sections of Manhat-tan. So how do we link the service that is needed? We do that through an accessible dispatch program that has been in existence in Manhattan for two-three years now, does almost 200 rides a day, and has become very popular and really a primary mode of transportation for people in Manhat-tan that need an accessible vehicle to get around. We are expanding that to city-wide, which hopefully we will see the next year.

One of the biggest features of that is understanding the economic dy-namic where drivers need compensa-tion for the Deadhead part of the trip. And that is one of the reasons why our program today has been successful and passed the test to give the things they need. We are going to expand

that Deadhead compensation factor as we expand the program.”

Readers, I hope you are enjoying the summer and remember not to overheat in your cars during the 90 degree plus days. Drink plenty of H2O and stretch those legs and I’ll see you in September!

days so there is some wiggle room.Although this rule was passed TLC

Chair Meera Joshi did qualify that the rule would not be effective until Nov. 1,2016 as Commission will try to tweak this rule until they figure out just how the hours working will be calculated. The enforcement will have one or two warnings before sum-monses are issued and that seemed fair enough as are the penalties were not off the charts. It seems that issues have been brought up on this matter and that the TLC wants to look at before they lock this regulation down. As a practical matter this rule should not hurt a large percentage of the drivers, those that are will need to make some adjustments . We will all have to wait and see what adjustments are made between now and November.

The Commission also passed the Universal Driver License now actu-ally called “TLC Driver’ s License”. This is a one size fits all item. If you have the TLC Driver’s License you a re licensed to drive Yellow, Green, Black Car, and all For-Hire vehicles plain and simple. This of course would include all app based e-hail drivers. David Pollack (AKA Taxi Dave) representing Melrose Credit Union spoke and commended the Commission on finally getting this done. The one license drives all has been a longtime coming, but it is here and let’s be thankful. Thank you Commissioners.

Speaking of TLC Driver’s License Comm issioner Joshi announced that no action must be taken on current licenses and announced that license renewal can now be done on-line. Fin-gerprinting and photos can be done in several locations throughout the five boroughs by appointment and even on Saturdays. Visit the TLC website at www.nyc/lars for more details. You can also call me at LOMTO (212} 947-3380 ext. #3110 and Iwill give you locations and times for the offsite locations and phone numbers. You

NYC Taxi(Continued from Page 1)

need to make appointments.Commissioner Joshi also an-

nounced that Deputy Commissioner Allan Fromberg has completed 20 years with the New York City Ta xi and Limousine Commission and has survived 3 Mayors and 5 Chairman during his time there. Allan is a great guy who I have known for many years and has always a pleasure to deal with. Iam betting he will survive at least 3 more Mayors and who knows how many more Chairmen. Congratulations to Allan who has always been a friend of the League of Mutual Taxi Owners. I, know for sure that all the previous LOMTO Managing Directors feel the same, except for maybe Vinny Sapone (only kidding Vinny).

Daily News Exclusive - July 11th from Reporter Dan Rivoli

“The Taxi and Limousine Commis-sion has received more than 86,000 complaints against yellow and green taxis since 2011,while Uber has gotten 532 and Lyft only 52”. This is primarily due to the fact that the Yellows and Greens have a manda-tory sign in the back of every vehicle encouraging passengers to call 311to file complaints. The Ubers and the Lyfts are only printing this informa-tion on a small note on the bottom of customer receipts. This is just another way the playing field is not level and the App companies are treated with less scrutiny than are the Yellows and Greens. There are probably three or four times as many App vehicles than Yellows and Greens combined. This really stinks and the TLC really does not have the backs of our industries. Let’s fix that TLC.

BE CAREFUL OUT THERE!

Page 5: VOL. 17, NO. 8 “The Voice of the NYC Transportation ... · AUGUST 2016 † TAXI INSIDER † PAGE 1 VOL. 17, NO. 8 “The Voice of the NYC Transportation Industry.” AUGUST 2016

AUGUST 2016 • TAXI INSIDER • PAGE 5

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Page 6: VOL. 17, NO. 8 “The Voice of the NYC Transportation ... · AUGUST 2016 † TAXI INSIDER † PAGE 1 VOL. 17, NO. 8 “The Voice of the NYC Transportation Industry.” AUGUST 2016

PAGE 6 • TAXI INSIDER • AUGUST 2016

Insider NewsIndustry Notice #16-11

July 11, 2016Attention Medallion Taxi Drivers:

Instructions For Receiving Refunds For Healthcare Fund

Because of a court ruling, on April 17, 2014 the TLC instructed taxicab me-dallion owners to stop withholding a six (6) cents per-ride fee for the Taxi Driver Healthcare Services Fund (HCF). The ruling by the court is now fi nal and the Fund is permanently closed.

Refund EligibilityIf you are a medallion driver who drove between October 1, 2013 and April

17, 2014 (the collection period) and your medallion/fl eet owner collected the $0.06 per trip HCF fee from you, you are eligible for a refund of the amount you paid.

Refund AmountReview your personal trip records to see how much you paid a medallion owner

for the HCF during the collection period. If you don’t have your trip records, you can fi nd out the number of trips that you completed during the collection period by: 1) Checking the TPEP portal, 2) consulting with your TPEP provider, or 3) asking your medallion owner/agent. Please note that neither TPEP providers nor the TLC can provide data about the actual amounts medallion owners collected from a driver.

Refund ProcessTo request your refund, contact the medallion owner/s (or the agent/s) that you

were driving for during the collection period. If the medallion was transferred since then, for HCF amounts that were paid to the TLC, the TLC has refunded that amount to the current medallion owner/agent on fi le.

If you are unable to reach the medallion owner on the phone number that you have on fi le for them, the TLC can provide drivers with the 24-hour number that we have on fi le for a medallion owner/s. To obtain a phone number of a fl eet/garage, please visit our “Current Licensees” page on the TLC website (http://www.nyc.gov/html/tlc/html/industry/current_licensees.shtml).

Industry Notice #16-12July 14, 2016

TLC Announces New Online-Only Driver Application Process, Off-Site

Fingerprints & PhotosStarting July 14, 2016, applications for a TLC Driver’s License must be sub-

mitted on-line. Fingerprints and photographs required for a license will no longer be done at TLC. Beginning on July 19, 2016, fi ngerprints and photographs will be done at ten different centers located throughout New York City.

To apply, applicants must visit the TLC website at www.nyc.gov/lars. Begin-ning on July 14, this will be the only way to apply for a TLC driver’s license.

Starting on July 19, MorphoTrust will be handling fi ngerprints and photographs for TLC applications. Applicants who fi le an application between July 14 and July 19 will need to wait until July 19 to schedule their fi ngerprint\photo appoint-ment. After July 19, once drivers apply online, they will be able to immediately schedule an appointment to have their fi ngerprints and photos taken.

All driver applicants must complete the fi ngerprint and photo process, and submit all other licensing requirements within 90 days of applying. For a complete list of the requirements, please visit our web site at http://bit.ly/TLClicensing.

If you have any questions about the changes, please e-mail the TLC at [email protected].

Applicants can make an appointment by going to MorphoTrust’s website at: http://www.identogo.com/FP/NewYork.aspx. Here are ten locations in New York City, as well as the hours, below:

Industry Notice #16-15July 20, 2016

Notice: Improvement SurchargePayment Process for Street Hail

Livery Permit Owners and Medallion Owners and Agents Has Changed

Starting on July 25, 2016, you will no longer receive a statement from your

TPEP/LPEP provider that lets you know the amount owed for the current quarter’s Improvement Surcharge. Instead, the TLC will post the Improvement Surcharge amounts that are owed directly onto the TLC’s License Applications, Renewals & Summonses system (LARS). This change will start with the second quarter of 2016 for trips that are done between April 1 – June 30, 2016.

To fi nd out the exact amount you owe, please visit LARS. You will continue to make payments using the TLC’s On-line Transaction system (LARS), which can be found on our web site at https://www1.nyc.gov/lars.

The timeline for payment of the second quarter of 2016 Improvement Sur-charge is as follows:

• July 25th, 2016 – Owners and Agents will be able to view amounts owed on LARS, and begin making payments.

• July 25th, 2016 – Challenge Period begins. Owners and Agents should direct all questions or challenges to:

[email protected] – for Taxicab Improvement Fund related [email protected] – for Street Hail Livery Improvement Fund

related issues• August 5th, 2016 – Challenge Period ends. Amounts due are fi nalized.• August 15th, 2016 – Full payment is due to the TLC. Payments may only be

made using (LARS) system which can be found at: https://www1.nyc.gov/lars/. Failure to submit full payment by August 15th, 2016 will result in fi nes and/or possible suspension of your license.

MORE PATH RIDERS =MORE TAXI RIDERS

Attention Taxi Drivers: PATH ridership in June reached its highest monthly total ever, with nearly 7 million people entering the turnstiles system-wide – a 3.6 percent increase over June 2015.

PATH reported its average weekday ridership of 277,946 in June also was the highest for any month on record, refl ecting a 4.1-percent increase from June 2015. The stations that experienced the highest percentage increases in average weekday ridership in June compared to June 2015 were Christopher Street, Grove Street, Harrison and Exchange Place. On weekends, the Harrison, World Trade Center, Grove Street and Exchange Place stations experienced the biggest increases in average ridership.

Year-to-date, total system-wide ridership is 5.5 percent higher than the same period in 2015, with average weekday ridership increasing by 5.4 percent, and average Saturday ridership increasing by 2.2 percent.

Plenty of fares need taxis going to, and coming from these stations!

Photo by David Pollack

Page 7: VOL. 17, NO. 8 “The Voice of the NYC Transportation ... · AUGUST 2016 † TAXI INSIDER † PAGE 1 VOL. 17, NO. 8 “The Voice of the NYC Transportation Industry.” AUGUST 2016

AUGUST 2016 • TAXI INSIDER • PAGE 7

The Taxi Attorney

S M E P S O N I L N E S SR E T T E L T R O T L A TM D C H A N V V N I L I AA L S D E P 2 0 E W O D XZ L E I S D P 0 D S A V SE I C R H O U F A R T E VR O N E A Y M E V E H E AP N M F P A Y N E V O N WY E V I R D R T D I U E WR O A T Y A 5 % H R D E OI G L N D B L D E D A R LN $ M I N U E R A D E G LC 0 P G H S A E R F H 0 EO 0 ## T E S S A I S 8 0 YM E G N I C N A N G 5 0 0

• RESCHEDULED HEARINGS • INVESTORS •• DRIVERS WITNESS ALLOWED • PETER MAZER •

• MEDALLION PRICE •TORT LETTERS •• 800 GREEN WAVS • 500 YELLOW WAVS •

• NO SET APP FARE • FINANCING •• RIDE SHARE • DEADHEAD • $ GOAL •

• TIF MONEY • NONPAYMENT •• 5% DECREASE • DRIVER INCOME •• OATH • TRADABLE ASSET • NV200 •• TAXI DAVE • SUNDAY NIGHT 8 PM •

Do you know the stories behind each word?You would if you listened to Taxi Dave’s Radio Show, Sunday’s at 8:00 PM on WOR710. Brought to you by Melrose Credit Union. You will also understand the puzzle better if you read our articles.

Find the following words/accronyms in the puzzle above

August Taxi Driver PuzzleHello everybody, I hope that you

are working hard and making good money. This month I want to talk about eight topics.

First, please remem-ber to treat your cus-tomers with respect and courtesy as that is the best way to distinguish the yellow cab from its competitors. If all yel-low cab drivers of all backgrounds and levels of experience driving a yellow, strove to provide the highest level of customer service, then the yellow cab’s competitors would be forced to compete in a different way than they are now. I am the first one to say that driving a yellow cab is a difficult job and is often very, very stressful. However, please keep in mind when you are stressed out and tired and sick of traffic etc, that it is ultimately, the passenger who is the ultimate client and consideration. Strive to provide the highest level of passenger satis-faction that you can within current TLC rules. I know the rules are somewhat restrictive, but, from what I see on a regular basis, yellow driv-ers must fight to keep their customer happy. I know tickets can also be a drag, but there are lawyers, like me, available to help you when you have a summons. So don’t fret, yellow cab drivers, fight back, with kindness and goodness innate in some of the most professional drivers in New York. Call me at 212.754.1011 if you have a summons issue.

Second, I am working with a prestigious and reasonably priced bankruptcy firm in case you need to file for Chapter 7, 13 or 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code. I understand the Industry and am glad to try to save your assets or liqui-date your assets as the case may be if you need that type of service. A basic Chapter 13 which will gener-ally allow you to keep your home and car etc. is around $3500 for lawyer’s fees. Chapter 11s are more and Chapter 7, when you liquidate your assets, are less. If you need this type of service or if you are considering it, I am glad to talk to you about it and you may contact me at my office during business hours at 212.754.1011 or 866.LAW.MIKE or 866.529.6453.

Third, if you are arrested and you possess a TLC license, it is impera-tive that you hire the best criminal attorney that you can afford. This is so because TLC will hold your license until the criminal case is finished and the TLC will take it permanently from you if the crimi-nal matters is NOT resolved to the TLC’s satisfaction. I work with a very high quality criminal attorney who can speed up criminal matters and obtains excellent results, so please

call me at 212.754.1011 if you get arrested.

Fourth, please listen to the Taxi Dave radio show on 710 am WOR, on Sunday evenings between 8pm and 9pm. David Pollack is the host. He is smart, en-tertaining, informative and best of all, knows the truth about what is happening in your In-dustry. Moreover, he has the highest rated show on radio in his time slot

in the NYC Metro area! So, please tune in to listen.

Fifth, remember to bring me your DMV and TLC tickets. It is important to fight all your DMV (issued by NYPD) and TLC tickets. Be careful. Don’t skimp on the lawyer only to lose your license later. Please fight every yellow or pink ticket you re-ceive from NYPD and every TLC ticket you receive. If you are uncer-tain whether to use an attorney for a particular ticket, please come see me and I will tell you, no charge, if the ticket has points and you do or do not need an attorney or representative for a particular summons.

Sixth, please take the defensive driver course every 18 months. Do not wait three years to take the DDC class that takes points off of your NYS driver’s license. Please take the course every 18 months so if TLC sends you a letter to suspend or revoke your Hack or TLC license you will have taken the class before you get such TLC letter. Now TLC is allowing you to take a course which takes 3 points off your DMV record according to TLC calculations after you get a letter from TLC saying you have a suspension or revocation coming to you. Also, if you get found guilty of a DMV summons it may be best to take a DDC course AFTER the guilty finding at TVB or in other NYS traffic court. Moreover, there is a persistent violator course avail-able to reduce TLC points which are now being combined with DMV points and can result in your los-ing your TLC license very quickly if you speed or talk on your cell phone while driving. Basically, any moving violation now puts you in jeopardy. Call me at 212.754.1011 if you want to discuss your DMV or TLC tickets.

Also, please note that I will do an excellent job advocating for you at a fair and reasonable price, and I have been doing this business for 20 years now and really know what I am do-ing. Please call me at 212.754.1011 or 866.LAW.MIKE to discuss your DMV or TLC problem.

Seventh, please be careful in the warm weather as the NYPD is out there to enforce traffic rules of NYS and NYC. Watch out at the following hot ticket spots: the

First Avenue tunnel by the UN, the Harlem River and FDR drive, the West Side Highway above the GW Bridge, the Cross Island Parkway, turn signs by the Midtown Tunnel, etc. Now is peak ticket time in the City. Please be careful and try to avoid seeing me.

Eighth, if you receive a pink sum-mons, please call me at 212.754.1011 to discuss it. Sometimes it makes sense to use a lawyer to help you fight a pink summons, which is a criminal summons with ramifications beyond DMV points, and sometimes you can simply pay such a summons without any negative consequences. My fee is reasonable to go to court for you for pink summonses, and you most

often do not need to go to court and I can obtain zero points for you. But, please call me to discuss this with me and don’t wait for the day before court to call me.

Thank you for reading this article. Call me at 212.754.1011 for all your legal needs. Until next month, be well.

Mr. Spevack thanks you for read-ing this article which is for enter-tainment purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For legal advice, contact Mr. Spevack.http://www.trafficticketnyc.com .

See his advertisement on page 30 of this issue.

This article does not reflect the opinion of the publisher.

Listen to Podcasts ofThe Taxi Dave Show

and Read Taxi Insider on-line @NYCTAXINEWS.COM

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PAGE 8 • TAXI INSIDER • AUGUST 2016

MANHATTAN POLICE PRECINCTS

BRONX POLICE PRECINCTS

BROOKLYN POLICE PRECINCTS

QUEENS POLICE PRECINCTS

STATEN ISLAND POLICE PRECINCTS

Precinct Address Direct line16 Ericsson Place 1-212-334-0611

19 Elizabeth Street 1-212-334-0711

233 West 10 Street 1-212-741-4811

19 1/2 Pitt Street 1-212-477-7311

130 Avenue C 1-212-477-7811

230 West 20th Street 1-212-741-8211

230 East 21st Street 1-212-477-7411

MSP 357 West 35th Street 1-212-239-9811

167 East 51st Street 1-212-826-3211

MNP 306 West 54th Street 1-212-767-8400

153 East 67th Street 1-212-452-0600

120 West 82nd Street 1-212-580-6411

86th St & Transverse Road 1-212-570-4820

162 East 102nd Street 1-212-860-6411

151 West 100th Street 1-212-678-1811

120 East 119th Street 1-212-860-6511

520 West 126th Street 1-212-678-1311

2271-89 8th Avenue 1-212-678-1611

451 West 151st Street 1-212-690-8811

250 West 135th Street 1-212-690-6311

2207 Amsterdam Avenue 1-212-927-3200

4295 Broadway 1-212-927-9711

257 Alexander Avenue 1-718-402-2270

1035 Longwood Avenue 1-718-542-4771

830 Washington Avenue 1-718-402-3887

900 Fteley Avenue 1-718-542-0888

2 East 289th Street 1-718-590-5511

2877 Barkley Avenue 1-718-822-5411

2120 Ryer Avenue 1-718-220-5211

4111 Laconia Avenue 1-718-920-1211

450 Cross Bronx Expressway 1-718-299-3900

2121 Eastchester Road 1-718-918-2000

3450 Kingsbridge Avenue 1-718-543-5700

3016 Webster Avenue 1-718-220-5811

2951 West 8th Street 1-718-946-3311

2575 Coney Island Avenue 1-718-627-6611

1925 Bath Avenue 1-718-236-2611

1844 Brooklyn Avenue 1-718-258-4411

5822 16th Avenue 1-718-851-5611

2820 Snyder Avenue 1-718-287-3211

333 65th Street 1-718-439-4211

9720 Foster Avenue 1-718-257-6211

154 Lawrence Avenue 1-718-851-5511

421 Empire Boulevard 1-718-735-0511

830 4th Avenue 1-718-965-6311

1470 East New York Avenue 1-718-495-5411

1000 Sutter Avenue 1-718-827-3511

191 Union Street 1-718-834-3211

127 Utica Avenue 1-718-735-0611

65 6th Avenue 1-718-636-6411

263 Tompkins Avenue 1-718-636-6611

30 Ralph Avenue 1-718-574-0411

480 Knickerbocker Avenue 1-718-574-1605

301 Gold Street 1-718-875-6811

298 Classon Avenue 1-718-636-6511

211 Union Avenue 1-718-963-5311

100 Meserole Avenue 1-718-383-3879

92-24 Rockaway Beach Blvd. 1-718-318-4200

16-12 Mott Avenue 1-718-868-3400

87-34 118th Street 1-718-805-3200

168-02 P.O. Edwaard Byrne Ave. 1-718-657-8181

64-02 Catalpa Avenue 1-718-386-3004

92-08 222nd Street 1-718-776-9090

103-53 101st Street 1-718-845-2211

71-01 Parsons Boulevard 1-718-969-5100

5-47 50th Avenue 1-718-784-5411

37-05 Union Street 1-718-321-2250

94-41 43rd Avenue 1-718-476-9311

45-06 215th Street 1-718-279-5200

68-40 Austin Street 1-718-520-9311

167-02 Baisley Boulevard 1-718-712-7733

34-16 Astoria Boulevard 1-718-626-9311

92-15 Northern Boulevard 1-718-533-2002

78 Richmond Terrace 1-718-876-8500

2320 Hylan Boulevard 1-718-667-2211

116 Main Street 1-718-948-9311

1 Precinct

5 Precinct

6 Precinct

7 Precinct

9 Precinct

10 Precinct

13 Precinct

17 Precinct

19 Precinct

20 Precinct

Central Park Precinct

23 Precinct

24 Precinct

25 Precinct

26 Precinct

28 Precinct

30 Precinct

32 Precinct

33 Precinct

34 Precinct

Precinct Address Direct line

40 Precinct

41 Precinct

42 Precinct

43 Precinct

44 Precinct

45 Precinct

46 Precinct

47 Precinct

48 Precinct

49 Precinct

50 Precinct

52 Precinct

Precinct Address Direct line

60 Precinct

61 Precinct

62 Precinct

63 Precinct

66 Precinct

67 Precinct

68 Precinct

69 Precinct

70 Precinct

71 Precinct

72 Precinct

73 Precinct

75 Precinct

76 Precinct

77 Precinct

78 Precinct

79 Precinct

81 Precinct

83 Precinct

84 Precinct

88 Precinct

90 Precinct

94 Precinct

Precinct Address Direct line

100 Precinct

101 Precinct

102 Precinct

103 Precinct

104 Precinct

105 Precinct

106 Precinct

107 Precinct

108 Precinct

109 Precinct

110 Precinct

111 Precinct

112 Precinct

113 Precinct

114 Precinct

115 Precinct

Precinct Address Direct line

120 Precinct

122 Precinct

123 Precinct

Midtown South Precinct

Midtown North Precinct

Police PrecinctsIn New York City

Taxi Insider Info

Questions? Comments?E-Mail Taxi Insider at

[email protected]

321 East 5th Street

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AUGUST 2016 • TAXI INSIDER • PAGE 9

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PAGE 10 • TAXI INSIDER • AUGUST 2016

36-01 43 Avenue, LIC, NY 11101 • Tel: 718-361-9191 • Fax: 718-361-6243rd

Hereford Insurance CompanyEstablished 1982 • Licensed by the New York State Insurance Department

y p

DEFENSIVE DRIVINGCOURSE SCHEDULE

Classes will be offered the following Saturdays:

August 27, 2016All Hereford insured will receive the course at no cost:

Classes will be held in the third floor event room at: HEREFORD INSURANCE COMPANY

36-01 43RD AVENUE, LIC, NEW YORK 11101Our classes are recognized by:

• Taxi and Limousine Commission for required license renewals.• Department of Motor Vehicles for the Point Reduction.

• Insurance carriers for rate reduction. ALL CLASSES BEGIN AT 9:00A.M., AND END AT 3:00P.M.

Reservations Are Necessary.All drivers must provide proof of Insurance.For additional information please contact:

BERTRAM MERLING - Loss Control Coordinator718-361-9191 EXT. 7235

[email protected]

(Continued on Page 11)

NYC RENTAL BICYCLEPROGRAM

Please be aware of the approximate 7,000 available rental bicycles in New York City.

There are no laws requiring the rental bicyclists to wear any safety gear or helmets so use extra caution and observe the below :

• Always be prepared to take defensive, evasive actions if you observe a bicycle in your area.

• Bicyclists must obey the same traffi c laws as a motorist. The number of accidents involving bicyclists has increased with the increase cost of fuel. Many people are now using bicycles as their primary source of transportation.

• Always respect bicycle lanes and a bicyclists right to the same streets you travel on.

• Bicyclists often pass through red lights, stop signs, travel the wrong way on one way streets, make sudden unsafe turns, pass vehicles on the right side unsafely, and commit numerous unsafe and illegal acts. Always anticipate one of the aforementioned acts by a bicyclist.

• Always check your side view mirrors prior to unloading or loading a passenger, for bicyclists attempting to pass in a narrow area.

• Black cars, medallion taxis, and vehicles for hire may be targeted for fraudulent claims by bicyclists.

• Always call the police and make a report if you are involved in an incident or an accident with a bicyclist. Do not leave the scene or you can be arrested for leaving the scene of an accident, even if you know that your vehicle did not make contact with the bicyclist.

• Always anticipate an unsafe action by a pedicab, (pedicabs frequent Bus lanes, and often ignore traffi c signals).

• If you are involved in an accident with a bicyclist, working as a Delivery person, please obtain the name of the bicyclist’s employer.

HOW TO IMPROVE SENIORS’ DRIVING SKILLSSelf-Improvement, Education and Rehabilitation, and

Tougher Licensing Are All Parts of a Formula for ChangeThe dangers posed by senior drivers — combined with the difficulty of

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AUGUST 2016 • TAXI INSIDER • PAGE 11

Driving Skills(Continued from Page 10)

figuring out when they have reached the point of posing a risk — are spur-ring unprecedented efforts to come up with solutions.

These initiatives to improve se-niors’ driving skills include more self-limited driving, improvement classes, vision adjustments, physi-cal rehabilitation, cognitive-skills enhancement and tougher licensing laws.

Here’s a look at some of what re-searchers, insurers, not-for-profit as-sociations, health-care organizations, government agencies and seniors themselves are doing in each area:

Self-Limited DrivingMany members of the over-65

generation limit their own driving as they recognize some deterioration in their capabilities. Typical self-limiting includes avoiding crowded thoroughfares and taking alternate routes, though this makes trips longer. Seniors also try to find intersections with protected left turns. Many decide to travel only a handful of close-to-home, highly familiar routes — and nowhere else — behind the wheel.

Other elderly drivers decide to give up driving altogether in the interests of their own and others’ safety; more than 600,000 drivers age 70 or older do just that each year, according to a 2002 study published in the American Journal of Public Health.

A surprising surge in self-limita-

tion seems to be behind the 21-percent improvement in the number of crash deaths among drivers 70 and older in a new Insurance Institute for High-way Safety study of the 10 years that ended in 2006. The declines were most dramatic for drivers 80 and older. If the fatal-crash involvement rates for older drivers had mirrored the trend for younger ones in the same time period, the Institute said, nearly 7,000 additional older drivers would have been in fatal crashes.

The older a driver is, and the more physically and cognitively impaired he or she is, the more the senior tends to self-limit driving, according to Institute interviews that accompanied the broader study.

The willingness of many aging mo-torists to regulate themselves prevents countless accidents. In fact, seniors’ tendency to self-limit is one of the main reasons that insurance rates are generally only slightly higher for driv-ers 75 or older than for the generation just beneath them — and far lower than rates for teenage drivers. Another reason insurers don’t see older drivers as a particular liability menace is that they tend to injure themselves more than others in accidents.

Driving Improvement ClassesOlder drivers are finding more

ways to gauge their own effective-ness behind the wheel. The American Automobile Association Foundation, for instance, has an online self-rating form for drivers 55 and older. Several other organizations are making simi-

lar resources available on the Web.More seniors also are taking it

upon themselves to improve their driving by attending self-help classes. The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), for example, offers a driver safety program at sites around the country and online. The 8-hour class is for drivers 50 and older. Typically, participants can take their certificate of completion and show it to their insurance company to get a discount of 5-10 percent on their premiums, according to Jack Stege-man, a volunteer AARP instructor in Madison Heights, Michigan.

One emphasis of the classes is to urge seniors to step up to their own responsibility for driving. For instance, “We don’t talk about ‘ac-cidents’ but rather about ‘crashes,’ because an accident just says, ‘It’s too bad it happened,’” says Stegeman, a retired schoolteacher. “A ‘crash’ is where someone didn’t see something or reacted inappropriately, and we need to get class members thinking that way.”

Another theme stresses “taking a little more time to make decisions as you drive, because that’s how our body functions as we get older,” says Nancy Stegeman, a retired nurse who teaches with her husband.

Vision AdjustmentsThe declining vision of seniors is

the most difficult aspect of driving to mitigate. “Ninety to 95 percent of the information you get in driving is visual information,” said Dr. Philip

Hessburg, president of the Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology.

Yet many vision-impaired older people take a big swipe at the prob-lem simply by declining to drive at twilight or later. Others realize major improvements after having cataract or other eye surgery. And some re-searchers believe that more diligent instruction of senior drivers actually can help them use their vision more effectively, even if they can’t restore their eyes physically.

“A common problem with seniors is that they fail to scan appropriately by moving their eyes completely through the driving environment,” said Richard Backs, a psychology professor who is developing a visual attention test for drivers at Central Michigan University. Seniors may spend too long focusing on changing lanes, for example, risking an accident by not shifting their attention to traffic approaching in their rearview mirror. Some seniors invest in the handful of devices that have proven to improve senior road vision, such as special eyeglasses that reduce glare and have a telescopic function.

“But even with any of those, you really have to work with your doctor and maybe a low-vision specialist and with a driving instructor,” said Judy Scott, director of the Center on Vision Loss for the American Foundation for the Blind.

Physical RehabilitationThe elderly can actually improve

(Continued on Page 20)

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PAGE 12 • TAXI INSIDER • AUGUST 2016

Commissioner’s CornerBy Meera Joshi

TAXI DAVE’SRADIO SHOWWOR-710AM

Greetings, everyone! I hope you are enjoying the summer and as stay-ing cool as possible. There has been

a lot happening at the TLC, and I am pleased to share the latest developments with you.

DRIVER FATIGUEWhile it will not go into effect before

November 1, 2016, TLC Commission members unanimously approved a pack-age of rules aimed at preventing driver fatigue and making our streets safer for all, drivers included. Between now and November 1, we will analyze additional data and continue to meet with stake-holders to see if any adjustments need to be made, with the goal of fashioning the most precise system possible that truly refl ects the daily realities that drivers and other stakeholders have shared with us. We very much appreciate the perspec-tives that drivers, industry leaders and

other experts have given us in testimony, as well as in the many discussions that followed. We hope that you continue to share your valuable feedback with us, and we will keep you informed about our progress.CONNECTIVITY CHALLENGES

IN LONG ISLAND CITYWhile I am very hopeful that, by the

time you all read this, the heatwave-related technical diffi culties we’ve been facing at our Long Island City Licensing offi ces will have been alleviated, but I did want to take this opportunity to thank you all for being so understanding. As I write these words, the facility has been closed for two days and we are about to announce a third. Of course, we’ve been through emergencies of every stripe before, and as always, TLC staff has dug in and put their best efforts into the full restoration of services (with

some dedicated staffers even working tirelessly through the wee hours this past weekend!). But this time around, I am so grateful that we’ve invested the time, resources and know-how in creating more on-line transactional functional-ity – like LARS -- than we’ve ever had available before. And I have a strong feeling that there are many licensees out there who are just as grateful as I!

In the event that the connectivity problems are still an issue by the time you read this, please visit the TLC’s web site at www.nyc.gov/taxi for updates.

DISABILITY PRIDEON DISPLAY!

I am proud to say that the TLC had a sizable contingent at the recent Second Annual Disability Pride Parade – pic-tured below – led by our Accessibility Program Manager Alexander Elegudin (seated, third from left).

8:00 – 9:00 PMEVERY SUNDAY!

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AUGUST 2016 • TAXI INSIDER • PAGE 13

404 Park Avenue South

New York, NY 10016between 28th and 29th Streets

ALL MOVING

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REAL ESTATE LAW

COMMERCIAL

IMMIGRATION

ATTORNEYS

IN OFFICE

WHO PRACTICE:

KAREN A. FRIEDMANATTORNEY AT LAWPRESIDENT

Association of

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FLUENT IN

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(212) 213-2145

SUSPENSIONS & WARRANTS LIFTED

CRIMINALLY RELATED MATTERS

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Throughout New York State

— We Accept Credit Cards —

Driving While Intoxicated (DWI);

Reckless Driving;

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Speeding; Red Lights; Traffic Signs

(718) 979-5360

30 East 33RD Street4TH Floor

New York, NY 10016EMAIL: [email protected]

WEBSITE: www.NewYorkTraffi cLawyer.com

Fluent in French and Spanish

ALL MOVING VIOLATIONS

THROUGHOUT

NEW YORK STATE

(Continued on Page 23)

“The Expanding Transportation NetworkCompany (TNC) Equity Gap & Social

Irresponsibility: Adverse Effects on Passengers with Disabilities, Underserved Communities, the

Environment & the On-Demand Workforce”By Matthew W. Daus, Esq.

I am pleased to announce that we have recently completed a com-prehensive report, that is scheduled to be published in a book published by the New York University School of Law’s Labor and Employment Law Center, edited and facilitated by the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations, entitled: “The Expanding Transpor-tation Network Company (TNC) Equity Gap & Social Irresponsibility: Adverse Ef-fects on the Disabled, Underserved Communities, the Environment & the On-Demand Workforce.” (“The TNC Equity Gap Report”). This report was both co-authored and peer reviewed by experts in the fields of labor and employment law, sustainability, eco-nomics, disability and civil rights, including a national and international group of professors, former high-level government officials, and disability advocacy groups.

In addition to the playing field being skewed in favor of Transporta-tion Network Companies (“TNCs”) at the detriment to the traditional taxicab and for-hire vehicle indus-try, an alarming result from the proliferation of such TNCs is the undeniable adverse impact on people with disabilities, underserved com-munities, the environment, social responsibility, and the labor force of the so-called “on-demand shar-ing economy”. This comprehensive report provides stunning revelations concerning the disturbing underbelly of the TNC business model, with recommendations for policy-making and addressing the concerns raised by the authors and peer reviewers. This report demonstrates that the TNC template is nothing more than a privileged access model that operates to the detriment of those in most need of their services. As is fully explained in the report with concrete data and evidence, the following are a list of the unfortunate results and social consequences that continue to result from the continued proliferation and existence of TNCs:

Wheelchair Accessibility Not a TNC Priority

•The proliferation of TNCs has greatly slowed, if not halted, progress being made to convert a large por-tion of taxicabs in New York City to wheelchair-accessible vehicles;

•TNCs continue to argue that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a law designed to provide inclusiveness for all, does not apply to their operations in any way;

•TNCs do not, except in rare instances, have the capability to ac-

commodate electric wheelchairs and scooters; and

•TNCs are not held to the same accessibility mandates as the traditional For Hire Vehicle industry;

Underserved, LowIncome & Minority

Communities Left at the Curb by TNCs

• Communities that may desire to utilize a TNC service, but currently have limited or no access, include low-income com-

munities and minority communities, both of which may be “redlined” or dis-incentivized from serving due to the effects of surge pricing;

• Rural communities, where low population density and a host of other factors dis-incentivize drivers from expanding service;

• Unbanked and under-banked communities, which have little or no access to the financial institutions required to pay for TNCs; and

• Individuals without smartphone access, who do not possess the tech-nology expertise necessary to request TNC service.

TNCs Cause Traffic Congestion, Harm the Environment & Augment Negative Externalities

• TNC proliferation threatens cit-ies’ efforts to reduce the number of Personal Motor Vehicles on the road, setting back decades of transporta-tion planning and policy aimed at mitigating congestion and pollution, and encouraging shared mobility and mobility management;

• Unregulated TNC growth could cause congestion and harmful en-vironmental impacts through the proliferation of nitrogen oxides, Fine Particulate Matter, volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide, sul-phur dioxide, greenhouse gases and air toxics;

• Said congestion has resulted in massive losses to local businesses and government taxpayers impacted by it, with additional time spent on road repair, while labor force activity and business or government operations are negatively impacted by traffic jams and gridlock;

• Congestion is further exacer-bated by TNC’s usage of so-called “surge pricing” due to the incentive for all or most part-time on demand economy TNC vehicle drivers being fiscally rewarded by working already congested areas during peak business period (a/k/a rush hour in central business districts of urban environ-ments); and

•Urban areas are projected to con-tinue growing at a rapid rate, and, as a result, policy makers must take into

consideration how they will allow TNCs to continue to grow to avoid a “collision course” with environmental and sustainability policy.

TNCs Lack Social CorporateResponsibility & Ethics

• TNCs market themselves as so-cially responsible businesses when, in reality, they have built a highly sophisticated crafted web of tax avoidance depriving cities and na-tions out of hundreds of millions in tax revenue;

• Local taxicab and for-hire vehicle transportation providers are obliged to pay their local taxes, which increases their cost burden and forces them to charge higher fares than the TNCs are able to offer, putting the traditional industry at a competitive disadvantage for fulfilling its civic duty;

• Without the advantage of a TNC’s tax structure, local taxicab and for-hire vehicle providers are forced out of business, further decreasing the tax revenue to the government; and

• TNCs have led to the prolifera-tion of ever-smaller jobs (“gigs” and “micro-gigs”) performed by indepen-dent contractors, freelancers, temps and part-timers (collectively termed as “the disposable workforce”), where workers, who must go out of pocket for vehicle loan payments, gasoline, vehicle maintenance, car insurance and health insurance, are faced with no safety net such as unemployment or injured workers’ compensation, paid sick or vacation leave while operating in a reality that they can

be disconnected from the TNC app platform at any time without any recourse, thus leaving them “holding the financial bag”.

The contents of this report have been reviewed and approved by the following independent panel of experts: Hon. Patricia Gatling, the longest serving Commissioner/Chair of the NYC Commission on Human Rights, former Deputy Sec-retary to the NY State Governor for Civil Rights and former Kings County (Brooklyn, NY) First Assistant Dis-trict Attorney; Professor Jonathan Peters, an academic researcher with Accounting and Finance at the City University of New York/College of Staten Island, an economist whose work has focused on transportation economics, equity and congestion management/performance metrics; and representatives of and officials from Keroul, an international tourism and cultural organization based in Canada which focuses on advancing the rights of people with restricted physical mobility, including Keroul Board Chair Isabelle Ducharme, whose background is in accessible business and tourism, with personal experience since 1988 with mobility restrictions caused by an automobile related spinal injury, has been an advo-cate for disability rights for decades; Michel Trudel Keroul Secretary of the Committee on Universal Acces-sibility of the Montreal Taxi Industry, the former taxicab regulator from

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PAGE 14 • TAXI INSIDER • AUGUST 2016

By AppointmentOnly

* At BeaverStreet ONLY!

(Continued on Page 18)

Daus(Continued from Page 13)Montreal, and former IATR Presi-dent; and Maureen Koetz, the former Assistant/Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Environment, Safety and Occupational Health to the United States Air Force and former Congres-sional Counsel to the U.S. Senate Energy Committee, who is an expert in sustainability and natural capital and infrastructure management, with extensive public and private experi-ence in the field.

The full TNC Equity Gap Re-port can be accessed by contacting Professor Matthew W. Daus, Esq. at [email protected] and will be showcased at the annual conference for the International Association of Transportation Regulators (IATR) in San Francisco (September 22-25, 2016). The conference program can be viewed, and individuals and com-panies can register and/or sponsor by visiting www.iatr.global.

• • • • •Patricia L. Gatling is the former

Deputy Secretary for Civil Rights un-der New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo. She oversaw the operations of the Department of Civil Service, the Governor’s Office of Employee Relations, the Division of Veterans Af-fairs, the Division of Human Rights, and the Public Employee Relations Board. For over a decade, Ms. Gatling served as the Commissioner and Chair of the New York City Commission on

Human Rights under Mayor Michel Bloomberg and Mayor Bill de Blasio. As Commissioner, Ms. Gatling was charged with enforcing the Human Rights Law and combating discrimi-nation in New York City. Ms. Gatling is also the Executive Producer of Fighting for Justice: New York Voices of the Civil Rights Movement, a series of groundbreaking documentary films for the New York City Commission on Human Rights and NYC Media’s online Civil Rights Museum.

In addition, Ms. Gatling worked as a senior trainer with John Jay Col-lege of Criminal Justice, as part of the U.S. State Department’s International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA), teaching “Human Dignity and the Law” in newly emerging democratic countries, such as Botswana, Thai-land, and Budapest, and at the Dubai Police Academy International Confer-ence in the United Arab Emirates. She has served on the New York City Charter Revision Commission and is currently a member of the Board of Trustees for the New York Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection.

• • • • •KOETZ AND DUNCAN is a

small, woman-owned business that provides strategic consulting in all areas of enterprise management and public affairs pertaining to sustain-able development and asset manage-ment.

KOETZ AND DUNCAN is led by Maureen T. Koetz, who formed the company after a distinguished career

at the intersection of government, in-frastructure, and energy management as an attorney, federal policymaker, and member of the Senior Executive Service.

Ms. Koetz is the former Acting Assistant Secretary, and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for In-stallations, Environment, and Logis-tics of the United States Air Force, managing a 10 million acre/$250 billion asset portfolio in support of sustainable operations for the larg-est energy consumer in the federal government. In addition to oversee-ing multi-billion dollar construction, sustainment, sully, and environment programs, she also served as the His-toric Preservation Official, the Natural Resource Trustee, and a Member of the Air Force Base Closure Execu-tive Group.

During her service as a Presiden-tial appointee, Ms. Koetz formulated advanced management and com-munications programs to address encroachment and excess operational costs resulting from diminished natu-ral capital access and supply, in what would become a template for effi-ciency and effectiveness for enterprise sustainable development.

Ms. Koetz has also held posi-tions as Environmental Counsel for the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and Counsel to U.S. Senator Pete Domenici. She resides in Lower Manhattan, and was the Republican candidate for the 65th Assembly District in New York

in 2014 against the now-disgraced Sheldon Silver.

• • • • •Ms. Isabelle Ducharme has been

working on social integration of peo-ple with disabilities for more than 20 years. During the last ten years, Miss Ducharme has presented at various conferences and facilitated multiple workshops on creating awareness for integrating people with disabilities.

Her personal experience of liv-ing with a spinal cord injury since her car accident in 1988 gives her unique insight in the barriers many persons with disabilities face. She truly understands the different needs and accommodation needed to attain full integration.

She has a bachelor’s degree in communications at Université de Montréal and a Master’s degree in business and tourism planning at Université du Québec à Montréal. She also completed a course in ‘’com-munication and leadership’’ from Dale Carnegie to further refine her presentation skills.

In the field of disabilities, she has delivered keynotes, has trained and consulted, specifically, she has:

• Delivered sensitivity aware-ness classes to workers of the travel industry.

• Created a new concept of acces-sible circuit to promote accessible venues: www.theaccessibleroad.com.

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AUGUST 2016 • TAXI INSIDER • PAGE 15

“Call Sunny Save Money”&

NYS DMV Point SystemSpeeding (mph over posted limit)

Reckless Driving

Failure to stop for a School Bus

Following too closely (tailgating)

Inadequate Brakes

Failing to Yield Right-Of-Way

Violation Involving Traffic Signal,

Stop Sign, or Yield Sign

Railroad Crossing Violation

Improper Passing or Lane Use

Leaving scene of an incident involving property

damage or injury to an animal

Safety restraint violation involving person

under 16

Any other moving violation

1 to 10 . . . 3 points

11 to 20 . . 4

21 to 30 . . 6

31 to 40 . . 8

More than 40 . . 11

. . . . 5

. 5

4

. . 4

(while driving employer's vehicle)2

. . . 3

. . . 3

3

. . 3

. . 3

. 3

2

points

points

points

points

points

points

points

points

points

points

points

points

points

points

points

pointsNote: Speeding when speed not indicated is 3 points

Quoteable Quotes

Fantasy Vs Reality?By Larry Fisher

The Democratic and Republican Party con-ventions are history, and I cannot resist the temptation to comment. Although there are prob-ably other topics readers of this monthly news-paper would like me to discuss, the conventions provide so much fresh material. On the other hand, it is significant that today’s busi-ness news headline is Uber merging with Didi, the leading transportation app company in China. The signifi-cance of this news is that after burning through billions of dollars in China, Uber is basically giving up.

Another headline today in the NY Post is the release of photos of Mrs. Trump in suggestive poses with another woman on the heels of naked photographs of Mrs Trump over the weekend. Are these photos in keep-ing with the tenor of the Republican Convention? I think so. After all, Mrs. Trump was selling a fantasy in those photos, as is her husband on the campaign trail. Name the issue, and only Donald Trump can fix it. Isis, trade, immigration, are his signature issues. Few details have been forth-coming, but trust him, he’ll make all the problems disappear. Fantasy? You betcha.

It would be criminal of me not to mention some of the other more frightening aspects of Trump’s utter-ings and behavior. He wants to be the “Law and Order” candidate, similar to Richard Nixon’s 1968 proclamation. Please excuse me if I get bent out of shape when a man of German descent deems himself the “law and order candidate”. Six million of my breth-ren learned the hard way. Muslims, Latinos, and immigrants have been targets of Trump’s barbs during this crazy campaign season. His penchant for speaking off the top of his head and spewing hatred and prejudice has been reviewed and criticized by more

intelligent politicians and editorialists than me. Let me just reiter-ate that he is capable of anything, including 1st amendment suspension, which includes freedom of the press and freedom of speech. The slippery slope devolves from there.

That’s not to say that the Democrats are any shining stars. Mrs. Clinton has been a trouble magnet and her demeanor only exac-erbates her problem candidacy. Voters already expressed their Bush fatigue by marginalizing Jeb’s candidacy dur-ing primary season, and the same can be said for Mrs. Clinton by virtue of the large support for Bernie Sanders. Beyond the idea that it’s about time for a woman president, the scandals of the Bill Clinton era, and the unseemly fund raising of the Clinton Founda-tion are potential liabilities that could derail Mrs. Clinton’s ascension to the presidency.

But, what about us? Did either party address issues that affect our industry? Was there any discussion of the gig economy and its impact on benefits and full-time workers? Were there any speeches that referred to the structural unemployment that technology has caused? How about the deal the Democrats struck with Uber in Philadelphia so that delegates could be transported to and from the convention?

To sum up, on the one hand, we have the fantasy candidate. On the other hand, we have the troubled can-didate. Not much of a choice. Still, if you believe that one is significantly worse than the other, your choice is easy. Throwing away your vote on a third party candidate might be a real option if you believe that the risk of disaster is minimal. But, when push comes to shove, one candidate must be crushed so that we never have to listen to the mad ravings again.

Photo By David Pollack

We lost Hip-Hop! We need to bring it back to New York! Back to Brooklyn!”State Sen. Marty Golden.

“Quinnipiac Poll: 51 percent of voters disapprove of de Blasio”amNY’s headline

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AUGUST 2016 • TAXI INSIDER • PAGE 17

Project MFOLLOW THE DUCKS TO

ROAD SAFETY“Originally printed in PROJECT

M from Allianz”Yellow rubber ducks could be one

way of avoiding deadly accidents with self-driving cars, such as the one in which a Tesla Model S was involved in Florida earlier this year. Commonly found in bathtubs, the little toys also populate the streets of Duckietown, an advanced autonomy class taught at MIT.

Built and programmed by students, the 50 robot-controlled ducks have to recognize traffi c lights, road signs and other obstacles that challenge auto engineers and drivers in the real world. Each robot taxi is equipped with a single camera and navigates the model roads without using pre-programmed maps. In a playful yet clever way, the ducks are there to test how self-driving cars might interact on public roads in the future.

“One of the major challenges for autonomous driving research is the safety and logistics associated with this work,” says Liam Paull, who leads the project. “If we can develop a smaller, safer, cheaper platform where the same algorithms work as for real cars, we can carry out research more efficiently.”

In the meantime, Google is run-ning a self-driving car project with a testing program in four US cities using cars that have autonomously driven over 1.5 million miles.

Three types of sensors enable the prototype to “see” its surroundings, even at night, to predict the behavior of what it sees and to make decisions about how to react by comparing what’s happening in real time with its models. Cars are taught to detect unfamiliar objects or other road us-ers, and are given practice on how to respond.

The challenge is to translate the complex technology behind au-tonomous cars into a product that is accessible to user groups such as the elderly, says Timo Möller, automotive consultant at McKinsey, Germany. “It will have to be a case of a senior citizen giving the car simple

instructions, such as ‘take me to the doctor’s.’ The car might then ask if the driver wants the fast or the slow route. It should be as simple as get-ting onto a bus.”

Self-driving robo taxis might be an attractive form of transport for the elderly. These fully autonomous ve-hicles, currently under development for commuting short distances, could be ordered for that weekly trip to the doctor’s surgery, for example.

Overall, autonomous vehicles could offer individual mobility for the elderly despite physical, health and other handicaps that may come with old age, says Sven Beiker, of McKinsey, a former executive direc-tor of CARS, the Center for Automo-tive Research at Stanford University. “Mobility is a human need, on a par with a desire to communicate. Being mobile is key to having an active lifestyle and to leading the life you want: if a car takes over the driving, then it doesn’t matter if you are able to drive or not.”

More than 90% of road accidents include human error as a contributing factor but introducing self-driving cars will not necessarily prevent all those accidents, says Beiker. “There is this huge expectation that once we have this technology, we have a high chance of getting rid of a large share of accidents based on human error. Yet how good we can get overall is still not decided.”

One problem is that computers can’t think outside the box and are ill prepared for non-standard traffic situations. A human is experience and intuition based, cutting corners here and there, explains Beiker. A computer doesn’t know how to react to a situation that hasn’t been programmed.

Google experienced its first col-lision in February, when one of its self-driving Lexus SUVs drove into the side of a bus. The question of safety remains – until it might be answered by a duck.

“Originally printed in PROJECT M from Allianz”

ATO Steers GST Legal Case Away From Uber

The Australian Taxation Offi ce has contested Uber’s argument that the defi nition of taxi and limousine needs to be examined

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has disputed Uber’s attempts to raise doubt around the “ordinary” defi ni-tion of “taxi travel” as outlined by the Goods and Services Tax (GST), saying that the connotation of the phrase along with the words taxi and limousine need to be considered.

During the second hearing day at the Australian Federal Court, counsel representing the ATO said during his closing statement that Uber’s argument that the defi nition of taxi travel under the GST Act is only applicable to taxis and limousines is not plausible.

He proposed for Justice John Griffi ths to consider the connotations associated with the words taxi and limousine.

Pointing to the specifi c case of Sydney-based UberX driver Brian Fine as an example, counsel representing the ATO said Fine revealed during cross-examination that he would drive around -- much like a taxi would -- until someone wanted his service, before picking up a passenger, driving them to their destination, and charging a fare for the service.

“Like a taxi driver, [Mr Fine] pry the streets, and really effectively is hailed. We say functionally, he’s hailed by users of the app,” he said.

This goes against the argument that counsel representing Uber declared on Wednesday, which said the “real point of distinction” between UberX versus taxis and limousines is that taxis are the only vehicles that can pick up passengers from the curb side or be hailed.

Counsel representing the ATO fur-ther argued that regardless of whether taxi travel is provided by a taxi, lim-ousine, or any form of other vehicle service, it does not mean that UberX is part of a different industry, and therefore its drivers should not be exempt from having to register for GST.

Blair Davies, Australian Taxi Indus-try Association CEO, told ZDNet that the case is addressing the “heart of the issue”, which is creating a level playing fi eld for taxi drivers in Australia.

“We’re not running away from the fi ght. In fact, we are keen to take up the challenge and contest it in the market-place based on everybody playing by the same rules, not by one side having an unfair advantage,” he said.

“The case at the moment is the ATO is treating Uber drivers much like taxis, and we commend for that. We hope the court upholds that.”

Uber lodged legal action against the Australian Taxation Offi ce (ATO) back in August last year in the hope that the ATO would overturn its decision requir-ing Uber drivers to register for GST.

Last May, the ATO issued a directive that advised those providing a rideshar-ing service must have an Australian

Business Number and be registered for GST.

However, in documents lodged to the Federal Court, Uber argued the public issue by the ATO “unfairly targets Uber driver-partners”.

An Uber spokesperson previously told ZDNet that it believes the ATO’s guidance should not have been issued, given that a federal tax review is cur-rently under way.

“To be very clear, we believe all our driver-partners should pay their appro-priate share of tax and meet their tax obligations,” the company said.

“However, we feel they have been unjustly singled out by the ATO for different tax treatment than truck driv-ers, bike messengers, Airbnb hosts, or any other participant of the sharing economy.”

The company went on to express its disappointment in the ATO, saying that it is unfairly targeting Uber’s driver-partners, who “must register and remit this tax from the fi rst dollar earned”. This is in comparison to individuals who are only required to register for GST once they reach a turnover of more than AU$75,000 a year.

“The guidance by the ATO has tried to fi t a new technology model from today into a 1990s regulatory framework that was written long before this technology ever existed. Common sense would tell you that isn’t going to work,” the company said.

On Monday, the NSW government announced that it is offering AU$20,000 in compensation grants to taxi drivers who have lost business due to Uber and other ridesharing services.

The AU$250 million industry transi-tion package will allow the drivers to apply for upfront payments for up to two licences, AU$100 million of which will be paid for by a AU$1 levy on all taxi and ridesharing trips, meaning that NSW ridesharing and taxi users will have to collectively contribute AU$100 million to pay for the scheme. AU$142 million has also been set aside for hard-ship claims.

According to the Transport NSW website, eligible drivers’ licences must include a condition that it may be trans-ferred, and drivers have to have held their licence prior to July 1, 2016. Ap-plications for the payments are currently open until January 13, 2017.

Uber was offi cially legalised in NSW by the state government in December last year, with a new regular and com-missioner put in place to oversee the industry. A transition period was also put in place for a number of months for ridesharing drivers to obtain the correct accreditation to drive legally on NSW roads.

This was after the ACT became the fi rst Australian state or territory to legalise ridesharinglast October. This included the same regulatory conditions that are enforced for taxi drivers, such as driver history checks and vehicle

safety checks.Uber was then deemed to be legal

in Western Australia under major taxi industry reform in December, with the proviso that drivers had to obtain spe-cial “omnibus” licences in addition to their standard driving licences; while a decision passed by a Victorian County Court judge in favour of a Melbourne Uber driver effectively gave the service the green light to operate in Victoria in May.

While South Australia followed suit at the start of this month, Uber is still battling the Queensland government to become legal in that state. The Queen-sland government last month passed new legislation to crack down on Uber drivers, which included increased fi nes

and more powers for traffi c enforcement offi cers.

The Northern Territory govern-ment is still refusing to allow Uber to operate.

Reprintedwith permission from ZDNet.

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PAGE 18 • TAXI INSIDER • AUGUST 2016

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• Master trainer and leader of My Toolbox, a self-management workshops for people with chronic illnesses, including one adapted specifically for people with spinal cord injury.

• Created and hosted a radio show to keep people with disabilities informed of products and services available: Accès libre at Canal M of Vues et Voix.

Ms. Ducharme is Chairman of the Board at Kéroul, a Quebec based organisation who’s mission is to make tourism and culture more accessible for persons with limited physical abilities. She is also active on the Board of Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec.

• • • • •Michel Trudel is a geographer and

urban planner. He is a consultant in tourism and

transportation, especially for Kéroul, an organization devoted to the devel-opment of inclusive tourism. He was in charge of the organization of the

Daus(Continued from Page 14)

first World Summit Destinations for All held in Montreal October 2014.

Previously, he worked for the De-partment of Transport of the Province of Quebec where he developed an expertise in transport regulation. From 1992 to 2000 he was member of the Board of Directors of the International Association of Transportation Regula-tors (President from 1992 to 1994).

He worked also at the Quebec Department of Tourism in regional development and then as director of the Tourism Promotion of Quebec.

It is in the course of his duties to the Government of Quebec, in transportation and tourism, he met André Leclerc, the founder and CEO of Kéroul.

• • • • •Jonathan R. Peters is an associate

professor of finance in the Business Department at The College of Staten Island of The City University of New York and a Research Fellow at The University Transportation Research Center at The City College of New York. He received his Ph.D. in Eco-nomics from the City University of New York and his Masters in Econom-

ics from Hunter College.Dr. Peters previously worked

in the Finance Division of AT&T Corporation where he was a subject matter expert on immigration and international finance. He serves on the Economics of Pricing Subcommittee of the National Academies of Sci-ence Transportation Research Board and the Board of the City University Institute for Urban Systems. His work on public-private partnerships was

published in 2006 by the New York State Department of Transportation. He has previously published in The Journal of Applied Finance, Transpor-tation Quarterly and most recently in Public Works Management & Policy. He currently conducts research in the areas of regional planning, road and mass transit financing, corporate and public sector performance metrics, capital costs and performance man-agement.

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AUGUST 2016 • TAXI INSIDER • PAGE 19

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PAGE 20 • TAXI INSIDER • AUGUST 2016

LETTERS(Continued from Page 3)deal that handed Uber a free, private lot for its vehicles outside the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia and gave the company inside access to transport party VIPs at the convention. The RNC declined the same proposal from Uber, leaving the company to rent space at the Republican convention in Cleveland earlier this month.

I am a Democrat and a wheelchair user. I feel the impact of Uber’s discrimination every day. In my home city of New York, Uber has more than 30,000 cars on the road but none are wheelchair accessible. Uber disregards our civil rights and devalues our lives by refusing to provide acces-sible vehicles in New York and other cities across the nation.

Uber’s shameful business practices do not align with the Democratic Party Platform, which opposes discrimination against people of color, the LGBT community and people with disabilities. At this year’s convention, the DNC notably featured a powerful speech from Anastasia Somoza, a fellow New York wheelchair user who is an incredible advocate for our community.

That is why I am shocked that the Democrats – my party – would cut a deal with a $60 billion company that increases its profits by violating my civil rights. I expect better from Democrats. I can only hope that your candidates, Hillary Clin-ton and Tim Kaine, will respond by taking swift action to disavow the deal and condemn Uber’s discrimination.

Sincerely,Dustin Jones

United for Equal Access New York

DNCDear Taxi Dave,

I just watched Bloomberg’s speech at the DNC. Where does he get the nerve to say that Donald Trump will threaten the retirement savings of all Americans. Even if that is true, look who’s say-ing it, a man who funneled millions of dollars through a hedge fund to help start UBER’s drive to devalue the medallions that we worked so hard to build for our retirement. How can he speak with a straight face?

Abe

Dear Taxi Dave,Look at this Texas license plate, he has UBER

How Is This Possible

sign on his dashboard, working on New York City streets, God bless America.

Tom

Driving a StarDear Taxi Dave,

Look Who was in my car today! Ali VelshiJohn

Driving Skills(Continued from Page 11)their driving skills and help stave off decline through various types of exercise and physical therapy.

New research by the Yale University School of Medicine, for example, found that even a moderate regimen of physical therapy specifi cally designed for the task — only 15 minutes of exercises a day — could signifi cantly improve fl exibility, coordination and speed of movement of extremities in drivers 70 years old and older who were affl icted with various limitations such as arthritis. The success of the therapy, in turn, is projected to improve driving performance by at least an 8 percent lower crash occurrence over two years.

“Our hope was to make small improvements in several areas of physical functioning that, taken together, were meaningful, and that’s essentially what we found,” said Dr. Richard Marottoli, associ-ate professor of medicine at Yale. “Next, we want to look at whether people who might not yet have these limitations could relatively easily incorporate some of these activities and prevent [driving] problems down the road.”

Cabbie Finds Inheritance in

Backseat, Returns $187G to Passenger

A Boston cabbie is being praised as a Good Samaritan after fi nding and returning a pas-senger’s inheritance — nearly $200,000 in cold hard cash — accidentally left in the in the back of his taxi.

“Fifty percent of people say yeah, you should have done that, the other fi fty percent say you should have took it, but I’m not a crook,” said Raymond MacCausland, who found the green backpack full of approximately $187,000 in cash in his cab on Saturday. “I always return things.”

MacCausland, 72, a taxi driver for fi fty years, said he picked up the passenger on Massachu-setts Avenue and Tremont Street, and took him to a nearby stop so the man could run an errand. When the passenger didn’t return after 20 to 30 minutes, MacCausland said, he left. It was only later he said, that he found the backpack in the back seat.

“I zipped down a little bit on the bag, and I saw three bundles of money, right away I zipped it up,” MacCausland said. “I just thought it was clothes.”

MacCausland said he took the bag to the police station, and turned it over to the police hackney unit.

“I didn’t know if I should go look for him. It might have been stolen money, it might have been bank robbery money, I had no idea,” MacCausland said. “I only saw three packs, three bundles, but I knew the whole bag was full of money.”

By law, taxi drivers must return forgotten property to BPD’s hackney unit. Once at BPD headquarters offi cers unpacked the bag, laid the cash on a table, and began counting. In the end, police said, there was roughly $187,000.

“It had to be about 30 bundles, maybe 40 bundles, one bundle had ten thousand dollars, another bundle had $20s and $50s,” MacCausland said. “It really is something to see.”

BPD spokeswoman Rachel McGuire said the passenger was tracked down and reunited with the money, which turned out to be a recent inheritance. She said police detectives were able to confi rm the money was rightfully his.

“He had proof that it was his, he had the trust agreement, he provided the proof the money was his,” McGuire said. “Thank goodness for the honest cab driver.”

Reached by phone after the money was re-turned, the passenger declined to comment.

For MacCausland, the episode brought back memories of 30 years ago.

“Thirty-something years ago, I took a man to the airport and he left $10,000 in a briefcase on the front seat,” MacCausland said. The brief-case was returned but wasn’t exactly met with gratitude, he said.

This time, when he reunited with the passenger at police headquarters, MacCausland said, he was rewarded with $100.

“Thirty-something years ago, I took a man to the airport and he left $10,000 in a briefcase on the front seat,” MacCausland said. The brief-case was returned but wasn’t exactly met with gratitude, he said.

This time, when he reunited with the passenger at police headquarters, MacCausland said, he was rewarded with $100.

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AUGUST 2016 • TAXI INSIDER • PAGE 21

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UBERMIAMI (CBSMiami) – An Uber

driver has been arrested after Miami police conducted an anti-gun violence operation in Coconut Grove.

Miami police said they received a tip that a narcotics deal was going down Tuesday at the Quick Stop on Grand Ave. in Coconut Grove.

Several units converged on the location where they arrested Ilitch Muñoz who they said was selling cocaine.

Detectives said upon further re-view, Muñoz – who is an Uber driver – was in possession of a handgun.

Of the 40 busiest U.S. airports, 10 don’t allow pickups unless drivers have a chauffeur’s license or livery plates, including Atlanta, Orlando, Detroit, Boston and Philadelphia. Uber and Lyft are aggressively ne-gotiating agreements with airports, agreeing to pay the same fees taxis pay for pickups in many cases, usually about $2 to $4 per ride.

MUMBAI STRIKE UBER

Mumbai’s traditional taxi drivers went on strike yesterday, protesting against the car-hailing service Uber that they say is undercutting their fares and threatening to drive them out of business. Drivers of Mumbai’s “black and yellow” cabs, as well as fleet taxi and auto rickshaw drivers, took part in the strike in their thousands, organisers said. Hundreds of drivers gathered at Azad Maidan, the sports ground in south Mumbai, to protest against Uber and its Indian rival, Ola. The drivers are demanding that the app-based companies bring their fares in line with the rates set by the local government authorities. Failing that, the companies should be shut down completely, say the local taxi drivers. While the local traditional taxis charge 15 rupees (81 fils) per kilometre, Uber and Ola charge as low as 8 rupees and 6 rupees a kilo-metre respectively. “We will organise another strike in July if our demands are not met,” said Balasaheb Sanap, the president of the Jai Bhagwan Taxi Rickshaw Sanghatana, a union that led the protest against what it described as an unfair pricing strategy. Santosh Singh, 39, a fleet taxi driver who took part in the strike, said that before Uber and Ola came into the market he was generating revenues of 80,000 to 90,000 rupees a month – but now his revenues amount to only 25,000 to 30,000 rupees a month. “I have a loan on my taxi to pay off, 18,000 rupees a month, but I haven’t been able to pay the instalments for the past two months,” he said. “I’m worried that the bank will take my car from me.” He has a son and daughter who are teenagers and he said he could no longer afford to pay for their educa-tion, so he has been forced to borrow money from the bank earlier this month. “There are some people who want to hang themselves because of Ola and Uber,” he said.

Listen toPodcasts of

The Taxi Dave Show and Read

Taxi Insideron-line @

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PAGE 22 • TAXI INSIDER • AUGUST 2016

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AUGUST 2016 • TAXI INSIDER • PAGE 23

TAXI DAVE’SRADIO SHOWWOR-710AM

8:00 – 9:00 PMEVERY SUNDAY!

Taxicab Owners: Need a meter?

Need advertising?Need a GPS System?

Need Roof-lights?Need Security Cameras?

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Need a Checker Cab?

OLDEE DOES IT ALL! From Taxi Security to Advertising

Phone 718 482-6533 / Fax 718 - 482-7144 24-50 47th Street • Astoria, New York 11103

(4 Blocks from the TLC Inspection Site)Open:

Monday to Fridays 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Saturdays 9:00 am -1:00 pm

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Classes will be offered the following Saturdays:October 1st

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(depending on amount of interest)Time: 9am – 3pm

Contact Lori at Member Brokerage Service, LLCDDC given on third fl oor at Melrose Building

139-30 Queens Blvd.718 523-1300 Extension 1037

Illegal Street Hail LawMust Be Enforced

By Abe MittlemanIn New York City Medallion Taxis

have the exclusive right to passengers that hail them from the street. Other For Hire Vehicles are licensed to do pre arranged passenger work. This is the law. There is no arguing that if a person raises a hand that this work is for a Medallion Taxi.

For many years other vehicles, some not licensed by the TLC, but mostly For Hire Vehicles that are li-censed to do pre arranged work have been stealing passengers that are hailing from the street. As a poten-tial passenger raises a hand, an FHV vehicle will often approach and the driver will attempt to negotiate a deal with the potential passenger. This is illegal. And, the driver knows it. But with out heavy handed enforcement the driver will not fear chancing it. This happens every day of the week, hundreds if not thousands of times.

The TLC was doing a very good job of discouraging this illegal activity by setting up and stinging these drivers. They were seizing the vehicles and putting them out of business until fines and towing costs were met. Even so, that wasn’t enough because the amount of these expenses were just not enough to discourage this illegal activity from continuing. And further more, a court ruling ended the seizing of these vehicles.

So, the New York City Council stepped in with a bill that would raise the fine for this illegal activ-ity. Local Law No. 52 was passed and signed by Mayor DiBlasio on April 21, 2016. The fines passed for violation of the law were as follows. $2000 for the 1st offence, $4000 for the 2nd offence and $10,000 plus loss of drivers DMV license for the 3rd offence. So, finally the law had teeth and it would figure that this blatant violation of the property rights of medallion taxis would have a chance of being controlled.

But no, not so fast! And this writer can not believe the reason why.

Many of us listen to the Taxi Dave Show on Sunday night. We can listen live on WOR radio at 8PM. If we miss the show archived shows are available any time you want to listen on the WOR Taxi Dave archived page and NYCTAXINEWS.COM. So, if you

didn’t listen to the show on July 31, 2016 you are still able to listen.

Taxi Dave had as his guest the Honorable Peter Mazer. Mr. Mazer is an attorney with lots of experience. He formally was the Chief Council for the TLC and presently is the Legal Representative for the Metropolitan Taxicab Board of Trade (MTBOT). Mr Mazer knows a lot about how things work at the TLC.

Here is what was explained: When a TLC licensed driver re-

ceives a summons he first receives a notice encouraging the driver to plead guilty and pay a reduced fine. In the case of a driver who violated the law in subject here the fine would be $250, not $2000. If the driver instead chooses to continue to trial then the $2000 fine would be in play. Natu-rally, this driver knows he has very little chance of winning this case. So, the $250 fine is paid and there are no penalty points. So, the driver is free to continue this illegal activity.

Why is this done? It is done for the most ridiculous reason imaginable. It is done because there is a competition for the revenue between the TLC and The Offi ce of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH). If the case goes to trial OATH gets the money. If the driver pleads guilty by mail and pays the re-duced fi ne the TLC gets the money.

THIS IS AN OUTRAGE! WHAT GOOD IS A LAW IF IT CAN’T BE APPLIED! WHO IS OUR CITY G OV E R N M E N T WO R K I N G FOR?

Government is supposed to protect the citizens rights and enforce the laws that are on the books that are created for this purpose. We have rights and they are being violated day after day. When and how will this injustice end? If a law is passed to protect citizens rights there should be not be a back door way around it.

Editor’s Note: The TLC had an opportunity to read this before pub-lication and TLC Spokesperson Allan Fromberg responded with the follow-ing:.... in fact, we are not offering $250 fines for $2,000 violations. We review these summonses on a case-by-case basis and thus far, offers have ranged between $1,000 and $1,250 for first-time offenders.

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PAGE 24 • TAXI INSIDER • AUGUST 2016

Don’t risk a summons trying to fi nd a Relief Stand on the list that the TLC web site provides. Texting or searching on-line while in your cab is against the law. Keep this list in your taxi for future use!

TAXI AND FOR-HIRE VEHICLERELIEF STANDS

DOT is not responsible regulating taxis. Taxis are regulated by the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission. DOT does regulate taxi relief stands

Taxi relief stands allow drivers to park their vehicles for up to one hour. This affords drivers the opportunity to leave their vehicles and take care of personal needs. Taxi relief stands should not be confused with taxi stands, which are locations where drivers can wait, in their cars, to pick up passengers.

The type column indicates if the relief stand is for taxis alone, or both taxis and For-Hire Vehicles (FHVs). Staten Island currently has no relief stands.

BRONXTYPE LOCATION CROSS STREETTaxi Jerome Ave. (E. Side) Eliot Pl. & E. 170th St.Taxi Metropolitan Ave. (N. Side) Purdy St. & Red Oak Dr.

MANHATTAN EAST SIDE ABOVE 23RD STREETTaxis E.77th St.(N. Side) First & Second Aves.Taxis E. 86th St. (N. Side) Henderson Pl. & York Ave.Taxis E. 78th Street (N. Side) Lexington & Third Ave.Taxis E. 78th St. (S. Side) Lexington & Third Ave.Taxis & FHVs E. 29th St. (S. Side) Madison & Fifth Ave.Taxis E. 27th St. (N. Side) Park Ave. S. & Madison Ave.Taxis & FHVs E.28th St. (N. Side) Park Av. S. & Lexington Ave.Taxis & FHVs Madison Ave. (W. Side) E. 26th & 27th St.Taxis E. 26th Street (S. Side) Third & Second Aves.

MANHATTAN WEST SIDE ABOVE 23RD STREETTaxis W. 55th St. (S. Side) Tenth & Eleventh Aves.Taxis & FHVs Sixth Ave. (W.Side) W. 55th & 56th Sts.Taxis & FHVs Eighth Ave. (E. Side) W. 52nd & 53rd Sts.Taxis Broadway (E. Side) W. 48th & 47th Sts.Taxis Eighth Ave. (W. Side) W. 46th & 47th Sts.Taxis & FHVs Sixth Ave. (W. Side) W. 39th & 40th Sts.Taxis & FHVs Sixth Ave. (W. Side) W. 38th & 39th Sts.Taxis Broadway (E. Side) W. 43rd & 42nd Sts.Taxis Ninth Ave. (E. Side) W. 42nd & 41st Sts.Taxis West 39th St. (S. Side) Eighth & Ninth Aves.Taxis Ninth Ave. (E. Side) W. 30th & 29th Sts.

MANHATTAN BELOW 23RD STREETTaxis E. 23rd St. First & Second Aves.Taxis & FHVs Sixth Ave. (W. Side) W. 22nd & 23rd Sts.Taxis Third Ave. (W. Side) E. 14th & 15th Sts.Taxis & FHVs Third Ave. (W. Side) E. 15th & 14th Sts.Taxis & FHVs Sixth Ave. (W. Side) W.13th & 14th Sts.Taxis Sixth Ave. (W. Side) Thompson & Grand Sts.Taxis & FHVs Canal St. (N. Side) E. Broadway & Essex St.Taxis Park Row (SE. Side) Ann & Beekman Sts.Taxis & FHVs Fulton St. (S. Side) Broadway & Church St.Taxis & FHVs South St. (N. Side) Old Slip & Broad St.Taxis & FHVs Water St. (W. Side) Whitehall & Broad Sts.Taxis Whitehall St. (W. Side) South & State Sts,

BROOKLYNTaxis N. Sixth St. (N. Side) Berry St. & Wythe Ave.Taxis Fourth Ave. (W. Side) Third & Sixth Sts.

QUEENSTaxis & FHVs 43rd Ave. (N. side) 11th & 12th Sts.Taxis 44th Rd. (N. Side) 21st & 11th Sts.Taxis & FHVs Hunterspoint Ave. 27th & 30th Sts.Taxis 31st St. (W. Side) 34th & 35th Aves.Taxis & FHVs 43rd Ave. 36th & 37th Sts.Taxis 34th St. (W. Side) 37th & 38th Aves.Taxis Skillman Ave. 37th & 36th Sts.Taxis Queens Blvd. (S. Side) 50th & 51st Sts.Taxis Queens Blvd. 55th & 54th Sts.Taxis & FHVs 45th Ave. (S. side) Jackson Ave. & 23rd St.Taxis & FHVs Pearson St. (W. Side) Jackson Ave. & dead endTaxis 49th St. Newtown Rd & Northern Blvd.Taxis 55th St. Queens Blvd & Roosevelt Ave.Taxis Van Dam St. Queens Blvd & Skillman Ave.Taxis & FHVs 36th St. Skillman & 43rd Aves.

My Solution By Abe Mittleman

In New York City the number of hours that taxi drivers have to drive to earn an acceptable living along with the availability of taxicab service dur-ing high demand times have been a problem for both taxi drivers and the general public for a very long time. The solution to these problems seems to have evaded the regulators of this industry for many years Despite ef-forts to solve this problem, it seems to go on and on. . But is this really a complicated problem to solve?

There are 24 hours in a day. There is demand for taxi service around the clock, all of these 24 hours. Statis-tics show that the high point of the demand is during the morning rush and the evening rush hours. Drivers for many years have been generally working 12 hour shifts beginning at 4am to 6am and ending 12 hours later at 4pm to 6 pm. The morning rush hour is covered with this arrange-ment. However, the times of change over 4pm to 6pm leaves a gap in availability of service at the highest demand time of the day.

So, I am proposing this idea for all to think about: 9 or 10 hour shifts.

A shift can start at 4am-6am then end at 1pm-3pm. The next shift can start at 1pm-3pm then end at 10pm-to1am. The over night hours from

12am- 4am when taxi service is still needed but diminished could be avail-able to drivers who only want to work those hours. So, not only will the evening rush be covered but all hours will be covered, even during switch times that would be staggered.

But, this wouldn’t work if a driver can’t earn a decent living wage. Based on the current fare structure. If a driver switches hours from 12 to 9 hours the earning potential is reduced by 25%. If a driver switches hours from 12 to 10 hours the earning potential is reduced by 16%. The average between the two scenarios is 20.5%. Therefore a fare increase of 20.5% should give incentive for drivers to accept this change. And still drivers can at times still work 12 hours if they needed to. But, the pressure for a driver to work more than 9 or 10 hours will be greatly diminished.

Now, one may argue that there are not enough drivers to do all this. That may be true with the way things are now. But, the ability to work less hours and still earn decent money will attract many new drivers to the industry as well as bringing back drivers that have left. I might even renew my hack license that I retired 4 years ago afer 42 years!

I think this is worth considering , How about you?

Insider News— Continued from page 3 —

Here's how this works. We give you the facts exactly like they were given toa TLC Judge. We give you the defense that was made before the judge. Youmake up your mind whether he or she is guilty or not guilty. Once your vote

is in, we'll give you the TLC Judge's decision.

You Be The Judge !by Authorized TLC RepresentativeTONY FALESE •

CHARGES:2-21A reckless driving2-21B3xi improper passing2-21B3xii unsafe lane change2-21Bvi fail to yield right of way2-61A2 action against public interest

FINES:2-21A $350-$1,000 and/or 30 day

susp 4 pts2-21B3xi $250 3 pts2-21B3xii $250 3 pts2-21Bvi $250 3 pts2-61A2 $150-$350 and/or 30 day

susp 3 pts

FACTS:There were only three cars on the

avenue headed uptown at 5:00 A.M. The taxi was in the left lane, the com-plainant in the middle lane and an SUV

in the right lane all driving about 30 miles per hour. The taxi saw a man on the right hand sidewalk hailing for a cab. Without waiting for the traffi c to pass and without signaling, the taxi raced diagonally across three lanes to get the fare. He almost caused a three car accident by being very greedy or very careless or both.

DEFENSE:I did pick up that fare but there was

no danger. There were no sounds of brakes, no horns, nothing out of the ordinary happened I don’t remember the traffi c from three months ago. Since nothing happened, I apparently made a safe maneuver. This person probably has something against cabbies or is not accustomed to driving in Manhattan.

(Continued on Page 28)

Would You Like To Receive......• Weekly Traffi c Advisories

• Important Messages from The TLC• Important Industry Notices

E-mail: [email protected] we will place you on our

Industy E-Mail List.

Page 25: VOL. 17, NO. 8 “The Voice of the NYC Transportation ... · AUGUST 2016 † TAXI INSIDER † PAGE 1 VOL. 17, NO. 8 “The Voice of the NYC Transportation Industry.” AUGUST 2016

AUGUST 2016 • TAXI INSIDER • PAGE 25

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Page 26: VOL. 17, NO. 8 “The Voice of the NYC Transportation ... · AUGUST 2016 † TAXI INSIDER † PAGE 1 VOL. 17, NO. 8 “The Voice of the NYC Transportation Industry.” AUGUST 2016

PAGE 26 • TAXI INSIDER • AUGUST 2016

TAXI INSIDERMANHATTAN HOTEL LIST !!!Dear Readers of Taxi Insider,Drivers always tell me that they cannot know the location of every hotel in

Manhattan. A lot of work went into the list of Manhattan Hotels below. Drivers,please send Taxi Insider any corrections or additional hotels not mentioned.Also, when you are finished reading this issue of Taxi Insider, do not throw thisnewspaper in the garbage, give it to another taxi driver ! Thank you !

(Continued on Page 28)

60 Thompson StreetBetween Broome and Spring Streets

Algonquin Hotel59 W 44th Street

between 5th & 6th Avenues

Americana Inn Hotel69 W 38th Street

between 5th & 6th Avenues

Ameritania Hotel230 W 54th Street at Broadway

Amsterdam Inn Hotel

340 Amsterdam Avenueat W 76th St.

Beacon Hotel2130 Broadway at 75th Street

Belvedere Hotel

319 W 48th Streetbetween 8th & 9th Avenues

Benjamin Hotel

125 E 50th Street at York Avenue

Bentley Hotel500 E 62nd Street at York Avenue

Best WesternConvention Center Hotel

522 W 38th Streetbetween 10th & 11th Avenues

Best Western Hospitality House 145 E 49th Street

between 3rd & Lexington Avenues

Best Western President Hotel234 W 48th Street

between 7th & 8th Avenues Best Western Seaport Inn Hotel

33 Peck Slip at Front Street

Bryant Park Hotel40 W 40th Street

between 5th & 6th Avenues

Carlyle Hotel35 E 76th Street

between Madison & 5th Avenues

Carnegie Suites Hotel229 W 58th Street

between 7th & 8th Avenues

Casablanca Hotel147 W 43rd Street

between 6th & 7th Avenues

Chelsea Hotel222 W 23rd Street

between 7th & 8th Avenues

Chelsea Savoy Hotel204 W 23rd Street

between 7th & 8th Avenues

Chelsea Star Hotel300 W 30th Street at 8th Avenue

Comfort Inn Central Park Hotel31 W 71st Street between

Central Park West & Columbus Ave.

Comfort Inn Manhattan Hotel42 W 35th Street

between 5th & 6th Avenue

Comfort Inn Midtown Hotel129 W 46th Street

between 6th & 7th Avenues

Comfort Inn New York Hotel442 W 36th Street

between 10th & Dyer Avenues

Courtyard Manhattan 5th Avenue3 E 40th Street

between Madison & 5th Avenues

Courtyard Midtown East Hotel866 3rd Avenue

between 51st & 52nd Streets

Courtyard Times Square Hotel114 W 40th Street

between 6th & 7th Avenues

Crowne Plaza Times Square Hotel1605 Broadway

between 49th & 50th Streets

Crowne Plaza UN Hotel304 E 42nd Street

between 1st & 2nd Avenues

Doubletree Times Square Hotel1568 Broadway

between 47th & 48th Streets

Edison Hotel228 W 47th Street

between 7th & 8th Avenues

Elysee Hotel60 E 54th Street

between Park & Madison Avenues

Embassy Suites Hotel 102 North End Ave.

World Financial Center, Manhattan

Fairfi eld Inn & Suites Chelsea- 116 W. 28th St(near 6th Ave)

Four Points Manhattan SoHo-

66 Charlton St.(near Spring St)

Fairfi eld Inn & Suites Times Square

330 W. 40th St(near 9th Ave)

Fairfi eld Inn & Suites Fifth Avenue

21 W. 37th St

Four Points Sheraton Chelsea Hotel160 W. 25th Street

between 6th & 7th Avenues

Four Points Midtown Times Square326 W. 40th St (near 9th Ave)

Four Seasons Hotel

57 E 57th Streetbetween Park & Madison Aves.

Flatotel International Hotel135 W 52nd Street

between 6th & 7th Avenues

Gramercy Park Hotel2 Lexington Avenue at 21st Street

Grand Hyatt New York HotelPark Avenue & 42nd street

Grand Union Hotel34 E 32nd Street

between Park & Madison Avenues

(Hampshire Hotel)Quality Times Square Hotel

157 W 47th Streetbetween 6th & 7th Avenues

Hampton Inn

Times Square Hotel851 8th Avenue at 51st Street

Hampton Inn SoHo

54 Watts St(near Varick St)

Helmsley Carlton House Hotel

680 Madison Avebetween 61st & 62nd Sts.

Helmsley Middletowne Hotel

148 E 48th Streetbetween Lexington & Park Aves.

Helmsley Park Lane Hotel

36 Central Park Southbetween 5th & 6th Avenues

Hilton Garden Inn Time Square

790 8th Avenuebetween 48th & 49th Streets

Hilton New York Hotel

1335 6th Avenuebetween 53rd & 54th Streets

Hilton Times Square Hotel

234 W 42nd Streetbetween 7th & 8th Avenues

Holiday Inn

Downtown Hotel138 Lafayette Street

between Howard & Canal Streets

Holiday Inn Martinique HotelBroadway & W 32nd Street

Holiday Inn Midtown Hotel440 W 57th Street

between 9th & 10th Avenues

Holiday Inn Wall Street Hotel 15 Gold Street at Platt Street

Hudson Hotel

356 W 58th StreetBetween 8th & 9th Avenues

Inter-Continental Barclay Hotel

111 E 48th Streetbetween Lexington

Park Avenues

Iroquois Hotel49 W 44th Street

between 5th & 6th Avenues

JW Marriott Millennium160 Central Park South

between 6th & 7th Avenues.

Kitano Hotel66 Park Avenue at 37th Street

La Quinta Manhattan Hotel

17 W 32nd Streetbetween 5th & 6th Avenues

Le Parker Meridien Hotel

118 W 57th Streetbetween 6th & 7th Avenues

Lucerne Hotel

201 W 79th Street atAmsterdam Avenue

Manhattan Broadway Hotel

273 W 38th Streetbetween 7th & 8th Avenues

Manhattan Seaport Suites Hotel

219 Front Streetbetween Pine & Wall Streets

Maritime Hotel

363 W 16th Street at 9th Avenue

Marriott Financial Center Hotel85 West Street

between Albany & Carlisle Streets

Marriott East Side Hotel525 Lexington Avenue

between 48th & 49th Street

Marriott Marquis Hotel1535 Broadway at 44thStreet

Mayfair Hotel

242 W 49th Streetbetween 7th & 8th Avenues

Metro Hotel

45 W 35th Streetbetween 5th & 6th Avenues

Doubletree Metropolitan Hotel

569 Lexington Avenue at 51st Street Michelangelo Hotel152 W 51st Street

between 6th & 7th Avenues

Milford Plaza Hotel270 W 45th Street at 8th Avenue

Millenium Hilton Hotel

55 Church Streetbetween Fulton & Day Streets

Millennium Broadway Hotel

145 W 44th Streetbetween 6th & 7th Aves

Millennium UN Plaza Hotel

1 United Nations Plazaat 1st Avenue & 44th Street

Murray Hill East Suites Hotel

149 E 39th Streetbetween 3rd & Lexington Avenues

Murray Hill Inn Hotel

143 E 30th Streetbetween Lexington & Park Avenues

Photo by David Pollack

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AUGUST 2016 • TAXI INSIDER • PAGE 27

NYC ECONOMYAverage Gas Prices

As of August 4, 2016New York Regular Mid Premium DieselCurrent $2.473 $2.722 $2.901 $2.763Week Ago $2.494 $2.741 $2.926 $2.781Month Ago $2.555 $2.790 $2.984 $2.797Year Ago $2.993 $3.231 $3.406 $3.429

(Continued on Page 28)

EmploymentPrivate sector jobs in New York City rose by 26,400, following May’s decline

of 6,700. Government jobs in the city increased by 600, resulting in a net overall increase of 27,000 jobs between May and June 2016.

Employment gains were led by the Educational Services sector, which saw an overall increase of 14,200 jobs (note: this sector is historically erratic with gains or losses fl uctuating heavily with the seasons).

The Information sector, which lost 3,500 jobs largely due to the Verizon strike the previous month, saw an increase of 5,700 jobs as striking workers returned to work in June.

Other notable job increases were in the Accommodation and Food Services, where 15,900 jobs were added since June 2015.

Private sector employment has risen by 98,500 jobs since June 2015, an increase of 2.7% (compared to the national growth rate of 2.0%).

New York City’s unemployment rate fell to 5.0% in June 2016 from May’s 5.1%.

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics in New York CitySTEM refers to educational and professional fi elds in science, technology,

engineering, and mathematics. STEM is a key driver of innovation, and is vital to New York City’s status as a leader in the global economy. STEM education is on the rise in New York City, with 29,080 students enrolled in science and engineering disciplines in 2015 (an increase of 13% from 2006). This growing education pipeline is vital for expanding the City’s talent pool, as STEM em-ployment typically requires a high level of education. For example, of the City’s 217,000 STEM workers, 36.4% hold a postgraduate degree and 81.9% hold at least a bachelor’s degree.

ConstructionFor the 12-months ending June 2016: The number of residential con-

struction projects rose by 12.4% between the 12-months ending June 2016. Despite a nearly 24.0% decline in non-building construction projects over this time period, the total number of construction projects was up 6.5%. In spite of growth in project numbers, both the value and square footage of construction projects were down from last year’s June totals. Total new building square footage was down 25.7%, while the corresponding value of new projects was down 28.3%.

Transit RidershipTotal ridership on MTA subways, trains, and buses was 208.5 million in

May 2016, a decrease of 0.3% from May 2015. While subway ridership was up 0.22% since last May, bus ridership declined 1.8% over this time period. The MTA Long Island Railroad saw the greatest growth in ridership with an increase of 3.0%.

Source: Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Air Traffi cIn May 2016, 11.4 million passengers passed through the region’s airports,

an increase of 4.9% from May 2015. There were 79,805 domestic flights, carrying nearly 7.5 million passengers in May 2016. This compares to the 25,144 international flights carrying nearly 4 million passengers in the same month last year. There were over 700,000 taxis dispatched, 713,625 parked cars, and 920,000 passengers riding the Air Train at the region’s airports.

Source: Port Authority of New York.

Broadway Ticket SalesTotal Broadway attendance was approximately 1,020,886 during the

four weeks ending July 17, 2016, up 1.9% from the same period last year. Broadway revenues during this period were about $106.9 million, down 2.1% from last year.

Source: The Broadway League Note: Gross revenue and attendance figures may not include all shows.

Hotel OccupancyIn April 2016, the average daily hotel room rate was $271, a 5.3% decrease

from April 2015. Hotel occupancy was 89% in April 2016, down from 91.3% in April 2015. The average daily hotel room rate decreased the most in the Midtown West submarket, falling 6.3% from last year.

Source: PKF Consulting.

Business Opportunities In NYCDriving a NYC Taxi has allowed for drivers to make their Dreams a Reality. I know

of scored of former drivers who saved money from driving a yellow cab and opened another business while leasing their medallions. That said, rom time to time, leasing opportunities become available for City-owned properties. Find out about these op-portunities in select commercial or industrial properties and retail or wholesale food markets. For more information, please call NYCEDC at (212) 312-3603.

Essex Street Market RetailEssex Street Market is meeting the ever-changing needs of the neighborhood and

the City as a whole, making it a premiere leasing opportunity and a great place to do business.

La Marqueta Building 3NYCEDC is redeveloping Building 3 at La Marqueta to provide three com-

mercial kitchen spaces and eight walk-in cooler spaces for food manufacturers.

La Marqueta Retail and Production SpaceUnderutilized market space was recently converted and modernized, giving

way to added retail space as well as fully-equipped kitchen facilities.

Moore Street MarketMoore Street Market is one of Brooklyn’s oldest indoor markets serving East

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PAGE 28 • TAXI INSIDER • AUGUST 2016

Manhattan Hotel List(Continued from Page 28)

Muse Hotel130 W 46th Street

between 6th & 7th Aves.

Palace Hotel455 Madison Avenue

between 50th & 51st Streets

Novotel Hotel226 W 52nd Street

between 7th & 8th Avenues

Paramount Hotel235 W 46th Street

between 7th & 8th Avenues

Park Central Hotel870 7th Avenue at 56th Street

Park Savoy Hotel158 E 58th Street

between 6th & 7th Avenues

Peninsula Hotel700 5th Avenue at 55th Street

Pennsylvania Hotel401 7th Avenue

between 32nd & 33rd Streets

Pierre Hotel2 E 61st Street at 5th Avenue

Plaza Hotel

768 5th Avenue at Central Park South

Plaza Athenee Hotel37 E 64th Street

between Madison & 5th Avenues

Radio City Suites Hotel142 W 49th Street

between 6th & 7th Avenues

Radisson Lexington Hotel511 Lexington Avenue at 49th Street

Ramada New Yorker Hotel481 8th Avenue at 34th Street

Renaissance Hotel714 7th Avenue at 48th Street

Regency Hotel540 Park Avenue at 61st Street

Roger Smith Hotel

501 Lexington Avenue at 47th Street

Roger Williams Hotel131 Madison Avenue at 31st Street

Roosevelt Hotel

45 E 45th Street at Madison Avenue

Salisbury Hotel123 W 57th Street

between 6th & 7th Avenues

San Carlos Hotel150 E 50th Street

between 3rd & Lexington Avenues

Sheraton Manhattan Hotel790 Seventh Avenue

between 51st & 52nd Streets

Sheraton New York Hotel811 Seventh Avenue

between 52nd & 53rd Streets

Sheraton Russell Hotel

45 Park Avenue at 37th Street

Sherry Netherland Hotel781 5th Avenue at 59th Street

Shoreham Hotel33 W 55th Street

between 5th & 6th Avenues

Skyline Hotel725 Tenth Avenue at 49th Street

Sofi tel Hotel

45 W 44th Streetbetween 5th & 6th Avenues

SoHo Grand Hotel310 W Broadway

between Canal & Grand Streets

Solita SoHo Hotel159 Grand St

St. Regis Hotel

2 E 55th Street at 5th Avenue

Travel Inn Hotel515 W 42nd Street

between 7th & 8th Avenues

TriBeCa Grand Hotel

2 6th Avenuebetween White & Walker Streets

Trump International Hotel

1 Central Park West at Columbus Circle

W Court Hotel

130 E 39th Streetbetween Lexington & Park Avenues

W New York Hotel

541 Lexington Avenue at 49th Street

Waldorf Astoria Hotel301 Park Avenue

between 49th & 50th Streets

Warwick Hotel65 W 54th Street at 6th Avenue

Westin NEw York Grand Central

212 E 42nd Streetbetween 2nd & 3rd Avenues

Business (Continued from Page 27)

Williamsburg and the surrounding neighborhoods for close to 70 years.

2724 BroadwayLocated in the heart of Manhattan’s trendy Upper West Side neighborhood,

this ground fl oor retail opportunity is one block from the 103rd subway stop as well as many city bus routes.

BKLYN Army Terminal SpaceBKLYN Army Terminal is the premier location for companies seeking to lease

commercial, light industrial, or back offi ce space in NYC.

Brooklyn Wholesale Meat MarketBrooklyn Wholesale Meat Market, located in the Sunset Park neighborhood,

consists of wholesale companies, engaged in wholesale meat and poultry process-ing, fi sh, produce as well as distribution.

Bush Terminal IndustrialCampus Space

Bush Terminal Industrial Campus is located on the waterfront in the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York within the Southwest Brooklyn Empire Zone.

East New York IncubatorIndustrial Space

Industrial, manufacturing and back-offi ce spaces available for leasing in the East New York Incubator Industrial Space in Brooklyn.

Staten Island Ferry Terminals RetailIn addition to providing a welcoming and state-of-the-art experience for trav-

elers, the new Whitehall Terminal in Lower Manhattan and St. George Terminal in Staten Island present an exceptional opportunity for retailers seeking a steady and reliable stream of potential customers.

Insider NewsC i d f 3

You Be The Judge !DECISION:

I believe the complainant’s version of a dangerous driving incident. I believe the taxi driver disregarded the safety of other motorists in order to pick up a fare at the wee hours of the morning. Guilty of 2-21A. Fine: $350 + 4 pts.

(Continued from Page 24)

Political NewsMayor de Blasio fi nds loophole to spend campaign money on lawyers.City politicians aren’t allowed to use their campaign cash to pay lawyers

representing them in criminal matters, but Mayor de Blasio has found a way around this problem.

The mayor – now facing multiple investigations of his campaign fund-raising tactics – is using an obscure loophole in campaign fi nance laws to pay the lawyers defending him.

Mayor de Blasio lies again about info kept from investigators in Rivington House probe.

Mayor Bill de Blasio denied Friday that his team withheld from investigators a crucial memo about a Lower East Side nursing home that would up as condos – but a document obtained by the Daily News shows that’s not true.

THE BOWERY PRESENTS156 Ludlow St. 5th Floor, NYC 10002212.260.4700 (p) / 212.780.9418 (f)

www.BOWERYPRESENTS.comSaturday, August 6JULIETTE LEWISThe New RegimeBrooklyn Bowl61 Wythe Ave,Brooklyn, NYDoors 6pm / Show 8pm

Sunday, August 7MAD DECENT BLOCK PARTY MCU Park @ Coney Island1904 Surf Ave,Brooklyn, NYDoors 1:30pm / Show 2pm

Saturday, August 13DONAVON FRANKENREITERUnruly ManeBrooklyn Bowl61 Wythe Ave,Brooklyn, NY

Saturday, August 13Summer ResidencyGIGAMESHSammy BananasBrooklyn Bowl61 Wythe Ave,Brooklyn, NYDoors 11pm / Show 11:30pm

Wednesday, August 17JESSE BOYKINS III PRESENTS BARTHOLOMEW

Brooklyn Bowl61 Wythe Ave,Brooklyn, NYDoors 6pm / Show 8pm

Thursday, August 18Fueled by LagunitasALOThe Hip AbductionBrooklyn Bowl61 Wythe Ave,Brooklyn, NYDoors 6pm / Show 7:30pm

Tuesday, September 13A Residency WithTOBACCO (electronic set)The Stargazer LiliesBrooklyn Bowl61 Wythe Ave,Brooklyn, NYDoors 6pm / Show 8:30pm

Wednesday, September 14EOTODiamond SaintsBrooklyn Bowl61 Wythe Ave,Brooklyn, NYDoors 6pm / Show 8pm

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AUGUST 2016 • TAXI INSIDER • PAGE 29

LICENSEDREPRESENTATIVES

AND ATTORNEYSTony Falese, Industry Rep.

TIXFIX(718) 361-3081

Michael Spevak, Esq.97-77 Queens Blvd., Suite 1120

Rego Park, NY 11374(212) 754-1011

Karen Friedman, Esq.30 East 33rd Street • 4th Floor

New York, NY 10016(212) 213-2145

NYCDAC34-11 Queens Blvd.

Long Island City, NY 11101(718) 729-4700

Celeste Katz, Esq.Law • DMV • Criminal TLC

[email protected](917) 548-9907

ACCIDENT ATTORNEYSMarc Albert

(347) 472-5080www.MSAINJURYLAW.com

ACCOUNTANTSAction Tax Services21-03 44th Avenue

LIC, NY 11101(718) 932-3737

TOW TRUCKMastermind Towing

24-Hour Towing ServiceReasonable Rates for TAXIS

Call 718-926-0616(888) SEND-1-TOW

BUY A TAXI CABKoeppel Nissan

74-15 Northern Blvd.Flushing, NY 11372

(718) 898-7800

Hudson Toyota599 Route 440Jersey City, NY(877) 422-0289

Lees Toyota139-65 Queens Blvd.Jamaica, NY 11435

(718)

Plaza Toyota2721 Nostrand AvenueBrooklyn, NY 11210

(347) 554-6215(347) 554-6000

MV-1(877) 681-3678

LEASE A TAXIAll Taxi Management

41-25 36th StreetLong Island City, NY 11101

(718) 361-0055TLC#202

D&J Management of Queens34-14 64th Street

Woodside, NY 11377(718) 458-6609

TLC#236

Eddie’s Management40-08 24th StreetLIC, NY 11101(718) 707-0072

TLC#A0280

JTL Management36-16 Skillman Avenue

Long Island City, NY 11101(718) 392-7000

TLC#213

McGuinness Management330 McGuinness Blvd.Brooklyn, NY 11222

(718) 349-8448TLC#A0259

On Our Way Management Corp.6814 5th Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11220(718) 833-8125TLC# A0249

S & R Medallion625 West 51st StreetNew York, NY 10019

(212) 957-9200 TLC# A0224

Taxifl eet Management LLC54-11 Queens Boulevard

Woodside, NY 11377(718) 779-5000

TLC#307

Taxifl eet Management LLC34-14 31st Street LIC, NY 11101(718) 361-6363

TLC#A0308

Winners Garage34-14 64th Street

Woodside, NY 11377(718) 458-7000

TLC#110

LICENSED BROKERS TOBUY MEDALLIONS

Briarwood Transfer Services LLC@Melrose Credit Union Center

139-30 queens Blvd.Briarwood, NY 11435

(718) 658-9800 ext. 1019TLC# R0057

Chelsea Taxi Brokers287 10th Avenue

NY, NY(212) 947-9833(212) 695-0601

TLC#R0004

Jericho Taxi Brokers36-16 Skillman Avenue

Long Island City, NY 11101(718) 392-7000

TLC#R0001

LOMTO Generation Brokerage435 West 45th StreetNew York, NY 10036

(212) 582-5721TLC#R0018

Mystic Brokerage Inc.330 McGuinness Blvd.Brooklyn, NY 11222

(718) 349-7610TLC#R0050

Pearland Transfer Corp.36-01 43rd Avenue

LIC, NY 11101(718) 361-0033

TLC#R0020

Westway Medallion Sales657 Tenth Avenue

NY, NY 10036(212) 977-4590

TLC#R0039

Friendly Group Ltd.287 10th Avenue

New York, NY 10001(212) 947-9833

INSURANCECOMPANIES FOR

WORKER’S COMPENSATION:Hereford Insurance Company

36-01 43rd AvenueLong Island City, NY 11101

(718) 361-9191

LOANS/FINANCINGAll Boro Funding, LLC330 McGuinness Blvd.Brooklyn, NY 11222

(718) 349-8448

Bay Ridge Federal Credit Union1750 86th Street

Brooklyn, NY 11214(718) 680-2121

LOMTOFederal Credit Union

50-24 Queens BoulevardWoodside, New York 11377

(212) 947-3380

Melrose Credit Union139-30 Queens Boulevard

Briarwood, NY 11435(718) 658-9800

Rapid Funding657 Tenth Avenue

NY, NY 10036(212) 977-4083

TLC FACILITIESTLC Headquarters33 Beaver Street,NY, NY 10006

(212) 676-10003

Licensing and Adjudications32-02 Queens Boulevard

LIC, NY 11101(212) 852-4636

Uniformed Services Bureau24-55 BQE West

Woodside, NY 11377(718) 267-4555

TAXI TECHNOLOGYVeriFone Transportation Systems

(d/b/a Taxitronic)37-01 21st StreetLIC, NY 11106(718) 752-1656

CMT(Creative Mobile Technologies)

11-51 47th AvenueLong Island City, NY 11101

(718) 349-7700

PRINT & GRAPHICSSERVICES

Dragonfl y Graphics LLC4 Court Square • 2nd Floor

Long Island City, NY 11101(718) 392-7042

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PAGE 30 • TAXI INSIDER • AUGUST 2016

������������������

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Page 31: VOL. 17, NO. 8 “The Voice of the NYC Transportation ... · AUGUST 2016 † TAXI INSIDER † PAGE 1 VOL. 17, NO. 8 “The Voice of the NYC Transportation Industry.” AUGUST 2016

AUGUST 2016 • TAXI INSIDER • PAGE 31

Main Office: 36-01 43rd Avenue, Long Island City - (718) 361-0033

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Page 32: VOL. 17, NO. 8 “The Voice of the NYC Transportation ... · AUGUST 2016 † TAXI INSIDER † PAGE 1 VOL. 17, NO. 8 “The Voice of the NYC Transportation Industry.” AUGUST 2016

PAGE 32 • TAXI INSIDER • AUGUST 2016

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Page 33: VOL. 17, NO. 8 “The Voice of the NYC Transportation ... · AUGUST 2016 † TAXI INSIDER † PAGE 1 VOL. 17, NO. 8 “The Voice of the NYC Transportation Industry.” AUGUST 2016

AUGUST 2016 • TAXI INSIDER • PAGE 33

NYCNYCRecommendations to passengers always increase the opportunity for a big tip!

Here is is a listing that will help keep all taxi drivers in the loop on what's going onin New York City! Mention these events & promotions and watch the tips grow !

EVENTS AND MORE IN THE BIG APPLE

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Movie Guide For New York CitySunday, August 7

“Rocky Business” (Habana Outpost Events): Habana Outpost 757 Fulton Street, Fort Greene - 8 p.m.

Monday, August 8“High Plains Drifter” (Bryant Park Summer Film Festival): Bryant Park Lawn,

42nd Street - 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.Tuesday, August 9

“Reservoir Dogs” (Red Hook Flicks): Valentino Park and Pier8:30 p.m. or as soon as it’s dark enough“My Blind Brother” (LOFT’s The LOL Movie Series), Solar One at the pier,

23rd Street and FDR, Peter Cooper Village - 7:45 p.m.Wednesday, August 10

Audience selection (SummerScreen): McCarren Park, WilliamsburgSundownAudience vote: “Mary and Max” vs. “Carol” vs. “The Warriors” (Summer on

the Hudson): Pier I, Riverside Park South, Upper WestSeating starts at 6:30 p.m.; screening begins at dusk around 8:30 p.m.“Suzhou River”: International Film Festival at Socrates Sculpture Park, As-

toriaPre-screening performance at 7 p.m.; fi lm screening at sundown

Thursday, August 11 “Selma” (Movies with a View): Pier 1, Brooklyn Bridge Park, DUMBO - 6

p.m. “August Rush”: LIC Landing and Hunters Point South Park, Long Island

City - Sundown “Grease”: (Summer in the Square): Union Square Park, North Plaza (17 Street

and Union Square East) - Film begins at duskSunday, August 14

“The Land Before Time” (FMCP Movie Night): Lawrence Playground, Flush-ing Meadows Corona Park, Corona - 8 p.m.

“The Good Dinosaur” (Outdoor Movie Night): Randall’s Island Connector, Randall’s Island Park - 8 p.m.

“Viva Las Vegas” (Habana Outpost Events): Habana Outpost 757 Fulton Street, Fort Greene - 8 p.m.

Monday, August 15“The Big Chill” (Bryant Park Summer Film Festival): Bryant Park Lawn,

42nd Street - 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.Tuesday, August 16

“Pitch Perfect” (Red Hook Flicks): Valentino Park and Pier, Red Hook8:30 p.m. or as soon as it’s dark enough

Wednesday, August 17“Auntie Mame” (Summer on the Hudson): Pier I, Riverside Park South, Up-

per West SideSeating starts at 6:30 p.m.; screening begins at dusk around 8:30 p.m.“Aguirre, the Wrath of God”: International Film Festival at Socrates Sculpture

Park, AstoriaPre-screening performance begins at 7 p.m.; fi lm screening at sundown

Thursday, August 18 “A League of Their Own” (Movies with a View): Pier 1, Brooklyn Bridge

Park, DUMBO - 6 p.m.Saturday, August 20

“Rooftop Shots: Closing Night Shorts” (Rooftop Films): Industry City, Sunset Park - Doors open at 8 p.m.

Monday, August 21“Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” (Bryant Park Summer Film Festival): Bry-

ant Park Lawn, 42nd Street - 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.“The Last Dragon” (Habana Outpost Events): Habana Outpost 757 Fulton

Street, Fort Greene - 8 p.m. Tuesday, August 23

“Norm of the North” (FMCP Movie Night): 111th Street Parking Lot, Flush-ing Meadows Corona Park, Corona - 8 p.m.

“Labyrinth” (Red Hook Flicks): Valentino Park and Pier, Red Hook8:30 p.m. or as soon as it’s dark enough

Wednesday, August 24“Embrace of the Serpent”: International Film Festival at Socrates Sculpture

Park, AstoriaPre-screening performance at 7 p.m.; fi lm screening at sundown

Thursday, August 25Screening choice to be selected by public vote (Movies with a View): Pier 1,

Brooklyn Bridge Park, DUMBO - 6 p.m.“Zootopia”: LIC Landing at Hunters Point South Park, Hunts PointSundown

Sunday, August 28 “Inside Out” (Outdoor Movie Night): Touchdown of the 103rd Street Foot-

bridge, Randall’s Island Park - 8 p.m.“House Party” (Habana Outpost Events): Habana Outpost 757 Fulton Street,

Fort Greene - 8 p.m. Tuesday, August 30

“Aliens” (Red Hook Flicks): Valentino Park and Pier, Red Hook8:30 p.m. or as soon as it’s dark enough

Thursday, September 8“Girlhood” (Films on the Green): Columbia University, Morningside Heights

- 7:30 p.m.Thursday, September 16

“Ghost”: LIC Landing at Hunters Point South Park, Hunts Point, Long Island City - Sundown

For news and informationregarding efforts to ensure that all livery vehicles are complying with

the law, go towww.ourridenyc.com

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PAGE 34 • TAXI INSIDER • AUGUST 2016

Upcoming Events Around TownHarlem Week(July 31st - August 27th)

Harlem is one NYC neighborhood with a rich cultural history, and even a month-long celebration doesn’t cover it all. Throughout August, Harlem is of-fering a jam-packed schedule of more than 100 events, which includes a gospel showcase, fashion show, auto show, free gallery tours, outdoor fi lm screenings, a small-business expo, and more. With activities fi t for any age and attendees from around the world, this celebration is sure to highlight this incredible neighbor-hood’s continued accomplishments.

Tap+Cork Brooklyn Beer & Wine Fest(August 4th - 6th)

Taste your way through more than 30 brews and 25 wines (all on tap) at this annual event in Bedford-Stuyvesant. The celebration begins on August 4th, with two days of free parties to kick off the festivities. The main event on August 6th offers six hours of sampling various craft beers and wine, snacks from dozens of local vendors, plus live music performances and guest DJs. Admission comes with 15 sample tastings and a commemorative sampling cup, and additional sets of tasting tickets can be purchased for $5 once you get there.

Restoration Plaza - 1368 Fulton Street, Bed-Stuy

Summer Streets (August 6th, 13th & 20th)

After the 2015 turnout of more than 300,000 participants, Summer Streets is returning to Manhattan. For three Saturdays this month (between 7AM and 1PM), almost seven miles of city streets from the Brooklyn Bridge to Central Park will be free of cars and open to runners, walkers, cyclists, and rollerbladers. What else can you look forward to aside from a car-free road? How about a 300-foot-long infl atable slide, plus a zip line, hammocks, and fi tness classes?

LIC Block Party(August 2oth)

Come one, come all to Long Island City’s SculptureCenter, which, along with the full length of Sculpture Street, will be transformed into a block party later this month. Spend the afternoon enjoying live dance performances and DJ sets, art activities for all ages, and even an Artists’ Market. Try your hand at one of the creative activities being offered like donut-making, coffee ground readings, balloon twisting and creating mixed media sculptures, and be sure to visit the social media photo booth.

SculptureCenter - 44-19 Purves Street, Long Island City

Brooklyn Comedy Festival(August 21st - 28th)

Sit back and laugh your way through Brooklyn during this fourth annual com-edy festival, featuring a diverse mix of known and up-and-coming comedians. Created to celebrate comedy and give newcomers the opportunity to perform in numerous Brooklyn venues, this eight-day festival features special editions of the borough’s comedy staples (like Night Train at Littlefi eld), a charity event, a rooftop show in Williamsburg, daytime panels, shows from IFC Comedy Road Tour, and even a children’s festival.

NYC Island HoppingMove over, Manhattan. The 13-mile long island may be the city’s most

famous (and populated), but with dozens of tiny islands littering NYC’s waters, it’s certainly not alone. Most of these are owned by the government and kept as bird sanctuaries to protect the local wildlife, but a handful are open to the public—and accessible by public transit.

City IslandWith its perfect combination of boutiques, restaurants, and scenic

strolls, City Island makes a great date night or daytime getaway. You can even get a 2-for-1 island deal by crossing over to High Island; at low tide, the two isles are connected by sandbar.

Roosevelt IslandGetting to Roosevelt Island is as easy as swiping your MetroCard. But

instead of a sweaty underground slog, prepare yourself for a scenic, romantic tram ride over the East River. The island is only two miles long, so you can easily stroll from The Octagon at its northern tip to Four Freedoms Park in the south in your summer sandals—no walking shoes required. On the way, stop by Main Street Sweets for a cold scoop and Island Shakespeare for an outdoor show in the beautiful Eastwood Amphitheatre.

Governors IslandTake a free ferry from Manhattan to this scenic little spot, home to

festivals like Pig Island, 4Heads, and Fête Paradiso. When the circus isn’t in town, the island makes the perfect place for a relaxing picnic—sans wicker basket, thanks to the tasty dishes served up at the Liggett Terrace Food Court.

Canarsie PolAlso known as Small Marshland Island, this miniscule patch of land

is accessible by kayak. Rent a boat from Canarsie Pier and trek out alone or on one of many ranger-led paddle trips. Just be sure not to disturb the birds, the islands only inhabitants.

Randall’s IslandWhile it may be best known as home to some of New York’s biggest

(and rowdiest) music festivals, Randall’s Island offers family-friendly fun all summer long. Come visit the Urban Farm on one of their Exploration Days for a peek at the world of sustainable city agriculture, stroll through the island’s scenic themed gardens, or walk along the East River enjoying the yearly FLOW art installation, open all summer long.

Broad ChannelFormally known as Rulers Bar Hassock, this Queens neighborhood

boasts one of the prettiest—and longest—subway rides in all five bor-oughs. Hop off the A train and straight to Smitty’s Fishing Station to rent a boat and line, or visit Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge to wander through the wilderness. Once you’ve worked up an appetite, be sure to swing by All American Bagel for a bite.

August Bus ToursHop on the Pizza Bus for Outer

Borough AdventureOur big yellow school bus leaves

Manhattan to explore at least one of the outer boroughs. Our stops rotate weekly, but always include a variety of styles and locations fit for the serious pizza adventurer. This tour covers the most ground and tackles more slices than any other on our public schedule. Tours are already scheduled through June 2017, but here’s a look at where we’re going this month.

August 7 - Manhattan + QueensAdventure. Excitement. A pizza

lover craves BOTH these things! August 14 - Tri-Borough Pizza

BonanzaLet’s make use of the open roads

and hit three different boroughs while all the New Yorkers are chillaxing in the Hamptons.

August 21 - Manhattan + Brook-lyn

It’s my mom’s birthday! Bring a birthday card for her and I’ll give you an extra slice.

August 28 - Manhattan + the Bronx

The only time the bus has ever taken off without the whole group was on a Bronx trip. Just letting you know.

Walking ToursWalk the Path of Pizza History*Crosstown Pizza Walk - Mon, Fri,

Sat @ 11am The history of pizza in NYC as

told through three pizzerias in Soho and Greenwich Village.

*Greenwich Village Pizza Walk - Thurs + Sun @ 11:15am

The global history of pizza as told through three pizzerias in Greenwich Village and Soho.

*LES / East Village Pizza Walk - Sun @ 4:30pm

Pizza hot spots in the Lower East Side and East Village. Super popular with New Yorkers.

*Brooklyn Pizza Walk - Sat @ 11:45am in Downtown Brooklyn, Sat @ 5pm in Williamsburg, Thurs @ noon in Williamsburg

Brooklyn has loads of great pizza! We’re concentrating on Cobble Hill every Saturday afternoon and Williamsburg Thursday afternoon & Saturday evening.

Private ToursCreate Your Own Custom Pizza

Journey.• Flexible start times available • Tour by bus or on foot • DELUXE option includes wine

pairings• SUPREME option includes

wine pairings, salads, appetizers, and MORE!

• All group sizes welcomeCheck out Tours @ https://www.

zerve.com/PizzaTours/Bus/calendar

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AUGUST 2016 • TAXI INSIDER • PAGE 35

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PAGE 36 • TAXI INSIDER • AUGUST 2016

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taxi newstaxi newsfrom aroundthe world

DUBAIDrivers Must Pass English Test

Prospective taxi drivers must now pass a series of psychometric and English-language assessments to work in the emirate as part of a new pro-gram introduced in advance of Dubai Expo 2020.

The Roads and Transport Authority said it expects about 5,000 prospec-tive drivers each year to sit the Test of English for International Communi-

cation (TOEIC) Bridge, a one-hour multiple-choice exam consisting of 50 listening and 50 reading questions. The language testing is needed to ensure that the drivers’ English skills are proficient enough to allow them to properly communicate with their customers, according to the RTA.

The drivers’ English language skills are being tested even before they arrive in Dubai, said Rula Dajani, country director for Amideast, which administers the assessments on behalf of the RTA.

“If they need to hire drivers from India, they are being tested there – India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Uganda, Nepal. So they are being

tested over there and, if they pass, then they provide them with a resident visa,” said Ms Dajani.

Amideast also issues a psycho-metric assessment to prospective drivers to ensure they have the right professional attributes to work as a taxi driver.

“They do something called the WorkFORCE Assessment for Job Fit,” said Ms Dajani, who added that the UAE is the first country in the region to use the assessment. “It’s a psycho-metric but it analyses six attributes of behaviours for a taxi driver.”

SpainMadrid To Get World’s Largest

Electric Taxi Fleet Of Nissan LeafsThe Nissan Leaf is not only the world’s

best-selling electric car, but also probably the world’s most popular electric taxi.

Leaf taxis operate in several European countries, enduring the same demanding conditions as gasoline, diesel, and hybrid cabs.

One of those countries is Spain, and it’s about to get a whole lot more Leaf taxis. At the 2016 Madrid Motor Show, Nissan and taxi company Ciudad del Taxi announced an order of 110 Leaf taxis for service in the Spanish capital.

This is the largest fl eet order for elec-tric taxis so far, according to Nissan. It will also put Madrid in contention with Amsterdam—which has around 100 Leaf taxis in operation—for the world’s largest fl eet of the vehicles.

All of the Leafs in the Madrid order have the larger 30-kilowatt-hour battery pack that was introduced for the 2016 model year.

Spain is already one of the largest markets for Nissan electric taxis, along with The Netherlands and the U.K. In addition to the Leaf, Nissan sells a taxi version of the e-NV200 electric van.

That model is actually built in Spain, at Nissan’s Barcelona plant. The internal-combustion version of the e-NV200—just called NV200—is New York City’s standardized taxi.

Nissan has demonstrated Leaf taxis in the U.S. before, but there has been no large-scale attempt to deploy them here. New York studied electrifi cation under the administration of previous mayor Michael Bloomberg, but the effort seems to have lost traction under current mayor Bill De Blasio.

Elsewhere, Nissan claims to have sold more than 800 Leaf and e-NV200 taxis, most of which operate in Europe. Taxi Hochelaga said last year that it would deploy 2,000 electric taxis in Montreal by 2019.

If owners follow through with those plans, that would likely give the Canadian city the world’s largest electric-taxi fl eet. Given its popularity elsewhere, it wouldn’t be surprising with the Leaf made up a large portion of that fl eet.

In Canada, a Montreal taxi company has also discussed adding a fl eet of elec-tric cars.

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AUGUST 2016 • TAXI INSIDER • PAGE 37

Events For You and Your Passengers in The Big Apple

Broadway Shows Off Broadway ShowsALADDIN

New Amsterdam Theatre214 West 42nd Street

AN ACT OF GODThe Booth Theatre

222 West 45th Street

AN AMERICAN IN PARISPalace Theatre1564 Broadway

BEAUTIFULTHE CAROLE KING MUSICAL

Stephen Sondheim Theatre124 West 43rd Street

BLACKBIRDBelasco Theatre

111 West 44th Street

BRIGHT STARCort Theatre

138 West 48th Street

CATSNeil Simon Theatre

250 West 52nd Street

CHICAGOAmbassador Theatre219 West 49th Street

CIRQUE DU SOLEIL PARAMOURLyric Theatre

214 West 43rd Street

DEAR EVAN HANSONBelasco Theatre

111 West 44th Street

FIDDLER ON THE ROOFBroadway Theatre

1681 Broadway

FINDING NEVERLANDLunt-Fontanne Theatre205 West 46th Street

FUN HOMECircle in the Square Theatre

West 50th Street

HAMILTONRichard Rodgers Theatre

226 West 46th Stret

HOLIDAY INNStudio 54

254 West 54th Street

JERSEY BOYSAugust Wilson Theater245 West 52nd Street

KINKY BOOTSAl Hirshfi eld Theater203 West 45th Street

LES MISERABLESImperial Theatre

249 West 45th Street

LONG DAY’S JOURNEYINTO NIGHT

American Airlines Theatre227 West 42nd Street

LOVE. LOVE. LOVELaura Pels Theatre

111 West 46th Street

MATILDATHE MUSICALShubert Theater

225 West 44th Street

NAPOLI, BROOKLYNLaura Pels Theatre

111 West 46th Street

NATASHA, PIERRE AND THE GREAT COMET OF 1812

Imperial Theatre249 West 45th Street

ON YOUR FEET!THE STORY OF EMILIO AND

GLORIA ESTEFANMarquis Theatre1535 Broadway

SCHOOL OF ROCKWinter Garden Theatre

1634 Broadway

SHE LOVES MEStudio 54

254 West 54th Street

SHUFFLE ALONG, or THE MAKING OF THE MUSICAL

SENSATION OF 1921 AND ALL THAT FOLLOWED

Music Box Theatre239 West 45th Street

SOMETHING ROTTENSt. James Theatre

246 West 44th Street

THE BOOK OF MORMONEugene O’Neil Theatre

230 West 49th Street

THE CHERRY ORCHARDAmerican Airlines Theatre

227 West 42nd Street

THE COLOR PURPLEBernard B. Jacobs Theatre

242 West 45th Street

THE CRUCIBLEWalter Kerr Theatre219 West 48th Street

AVENUE QNew World Stages

340 West 50th Street

BLACK ANGELS OVER TUSKEGEE

Actors Temple Theatre339 West 47th Street

BLUE MAN GROUPAstor Plae Theatre

424 Lafayette Street

CAGNEYWestside Theatre

407 West 43rd Street

DRUNK SHAKESPEAREThe Lounge at Roy Arias Theatre

300 West 43rd Street

FUERZA BRUTAThe Daryl Roth Theatre

101 East 15th Street

GAZILLION BUBBLE SHOWNew World Stages

340 West 55th Street

HIMSELF AND NORAMinetta Lane Theatre

18 Minetta Lane

IT’S JUST SEXActors Temple Theatre339 West 47th Street

MONDAY NIGHT MAGICTheatre 80

80 Saint Marks Place

MY BIG GAY ITALIAN FUNERALSt. Luke’s Theatre

308 West 46th Street

MY BIG GAY ITALIAN WEDDINGSt. Luke’s Theatre

308 West 46th Street

MY SON THE WAITER:A JEWISH TRAGEDY

Stage 72 at The Triad Theatre158 West 72nd Street

NAKED BOYS SINGINGKirk Theatre

410 West 42nd Street

NEWSicalKirk Theatre

410 West 42nd Street

PERFECT CRIMESnapple Theatre Center

210 West 50th Street

RUTHLESSSt. Luke’s Theatre

308 West 46th Street

SAM EATON’STHE QUANTUM EYE

MENTALISM & MAGIC SHOWTheatre 80

80 St. Marks Place

SEX TIPS FOR STRAIGHT WOMEN FROM A GAY MAN

The 777 Theatre777 Eighth Avenue

SHEAR MADNESSNew World Stages

340 West 50th Street

SISTAS: THE MUSICALSt. Lukes Theatre

308 West 46th Street

STOMPOrpheum Theatre

126 Second Avenue

THE BERENSTAIN BEARSThe Marjorie S. Deane Little Theatre

5 West 63rd Street

THE FANTASTICKSSnapple Theater Center

210 West 50th Street

THE JACKIE MASON MUSICALSt. Luke’s Theatre

308 West 46th Street

THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE ROBBER BRIDEGROOM

Laura Pels Theatre111 W 46th Street

THE MARVELOUSWONDERETTES

Kirk Theatre410 West 42nd Street

THE VERY HUNGRYCATERPILLAR SHOW

Acorn Theatre410 West 42nd Street

THE WONDERFUL WIZARDOF SONG: THE MUSIC OF

HAROLD ARLENSt. Luke’s Theatre

308 West 46th Street

(Continued on Page 38)

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(Continued from Page 37)

THE CURIOUS INCIDENTOF THE DOG IN

THE NIGHT-TIMEEthel Barrymore Theatre

243 West 47th Street

THE ENCOUNTERGolden Theatre

252 West 45th Street

THE HUMANSHelen Hayes Theatre240 West 44th Street

THE ILLUSTIONISTLunt-Fontanne Theatre205 West 46th Street

THE KING AND ILincoln Center

70 Lincoln Center Plaza

Museums along Museum MileEl Museo del Barrio at 104th Street

Museum of the City of New York at 103rd StreetJewish Museum at 92nd Street

Cooper-Hewitt National Museum of Design at 91st StreetNational Academy Museum and School of Fine Arts at 89th Street

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum at 88th StreetMetropolitan Museum of Art from 82nd to 86th StreetsGoethe House German Cultural Center at 82nd Street

Other MuseumsThe Museum of American Finance, the nation’s only independent public ...

Museum of American Finance, 48 Wall StreetAfrican Burial Ground - corners of Duane and Elk Streets

American Folk Art Museum 45 W. 53rd St.American Museum of Natural History 77th St Central Park West

Children’s Museum of the Arts 250 Lafayette St # A,Children’s Museum of the Arts

Free Art Island Outpost Program at Governors IslandHarbor Defense Museum - 230 Sheridan Loop, Brooklyn

Italian American Museum-155 Mulberry StKehila Kedosha Jania Museum-280 Broome St

Luxce Project 53 Stanton StThe Morgan Library and Museum-225 Madison Ave.

Museum of Chinese In America-211 Centre StMuseum of Jewish Heritage- HolocaustEdmond J. Safra Plaza - 36 Battery Place

Museum at FIT-Seventh Ave.Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) 11 W 53rd StMuseum of Modern Art Design-81 Spring St # A

National Museum of the American IndianAlexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House, 1 Bowling Green

New Museum of Contemporary Art-235 BoweryNew World Art Ctr-250 Lafayette St # 5

New York City Police Museum-100 Old SlipPoets House - Ten River Terrace

Queens Museum of Art-49th Ave. and 111th St.Rubin Museum of Art-150 West 17th Street

Skyscraper Museum - 39 Battery PlaceSouth Street Seaport Museum - 12 Fulton Street

The Tenement Museum-108 Orchard StWhitney Museum of American Art-945 Madison Ave

June Book Signings

Broadway Shows

THE LION KINGMinskoff Theatre

200 West 45th Street

THE PHANTOM OFTHE OPERA

Majestic Theatre242 West 45th Street

THE PRICEAmerican Airlines Theatre

227 West 42nd Street

WAITRESSBrooks Atkinson Theatre

256 West 47th Steet

WICKEDGershwin Theater

222 West 51st Street

Asa Akira, adult fi lm star,signing copies of Dirty Thirty

8/8/16 6:00 PM at Barnes & NobleUnion Square. New York, NY

Kiefer Sutherland, star of “24”,signing copies of Down In A Hole

8/13/16 2:00 PM at Barnes & NobleUnion Square. New York, NY.

Amy Schumer, star of “Trainwreck”,signing copies of The Girl With the Lower Back Tattoo

8/16/16 6:00 PM at Barnes & Noble Union Square. New York, NY.8/17/16 7:00 PM at WORD

Newark Avenue. Jersey City, NJ.8/18/16 7:00 PM at Book Revue

New York Avenue. Huntington, NY.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,NBA Hall of Famer,signing copies of Writings On the Wall8/23/16 7:00 PM at Barnes & Noble

Union Square. New York, NY

James “Slim Jim Phantom” McDonnel, drummer for The Stray Cats,signing copies of A Stray Cat Struts

8/23/16 6:00 PM at BookEnds East Ridgewood Avenue. Ridgewood, NJ.

8/24/17 7:00 PM at Book RevueNew York Avenue. Huntington, NY.

Jamie Lee Curtis, fi lm and TV star,signing copies of This Is Me

9/19/16 7:00 PM at BookEndsEast Ridgewood Avenue. Ridgewood, NJ.

Left to right- Abraham, Arthur and Ely Bangiyev. The Bangiyev family has been in the yellow taxi industry in NY since 1991 and in Russia for 49 years.

Photo by David Pollack

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AUGUST 2016 • TAXI INSIDER • PAGE 39

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PAGE 40 • TAXI INSIDER • AUGUST 2016