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City of Seattle
Gregory J. Nickels, Mayor
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NEWS ADVISORY
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| SUBJECT: Mayor Nickels Announces Plan to Turn All Seattle Taxis Green
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
3/12/2008 10:30:00 AM |
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Alex Fryer (206) 684-8358
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Mayor Nickels Announces Plan to Turn All Seattle Taxis Green
Changes to taxicab code will also ensure a fair and open cab industry
SEATTLE - Mayor Greg Nickels announced today new fuel efficiency standards will require all Seattle taxis ditch gas-guzzling vehicles for more climate-friendly cabs. In addition, new regulations will ensure a fair and open cab industry.
“Taxis are an important piece of our public transportation system, but it is time to drive Seattle’s cabs into the 21st century,” Nickels said. “By ditching the old gas-guzzlers for more fuel-efficient cars such as hybrids, we can cut climate pollution by at least 40 percent and save cab drivers a lot of green at the pump.”
Most of Seattle’s current fleet of 643 taxicabs are Ford Crown Victorias, which average about 18 miles per gallon (mpg). Under the mayor’s proposal, any new vehicles will have to be rated by the U.S. Department of Energy at 30 mpg or more fuel efficiency.
The lifespan for most cabs is between three to seven years. The city expects the entire fleet, with a few exceptions, will be climate friendly by July 1, 2013. This change is expected to prevent at least 11,857 tons of greenhouse gas emissions a year. A fleet of Crown Victoria emits about 29,644 tons of carbon dioxide each year, compared to 17,787 tons from a fleet of 30 mpg vehicles. Each of Seattle’s cabs drives an average of 80,000 miles a year and average approximately 8,000 trips.
And, thanks to fuel savings, taxi drivers who purchase and drive a Toyota Prius instead of a Crown Victoria will save themselves nearly $10,000 over the typical three-year life of the vehicle. This is despite the Prius’ higher purchase price. A lending program will also be established to help new licensees purchase climate friendly cabs.
The proposal would also increase the number of taxi licenses the city can issue to 1,000 from today’s cap of 667. Licenses will be issued over time as market conditions warrant. Adding more cabs will improve service and reduce the need for people to use private vehicles, resulting in an even greater reduction in carbon emissions.
In addition to helping the climate, Nickels has proposed several changes to the taxicab code that will protect individual licensees, ensuring a fair and open cab industry. These include:
- Owners will be drivers. All new taxicab licenses issued will be nontransferable and must be licensed to single individuals for five years. During this time, that owner must personally drive the taxicab for a minimum of 40 hours per week, 40 weeks per year. Requiring licensees to drive their cabs and prohibiting transfer of licenses for five years discourages speculators from obtaining and selling taxicab licenses for market value.
- Leasing practices will be regulated. Lease rates that taxicab license holders may charge taxicab drivers will be regulated and a maximum lease amount will be established. This will prevent taxicab licensees from unfairly increasing lease rates when taximeter rate increases are approved and prohibit shifting taxicab owners’ costs (vehicle purchase, insurance, registration, maintenance, dispatch service fees, etc.) to taxicab drivers. Drivers will be prohibited from subleasing taxicabs to other drivers to ensure all drivers are in good standing. New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, and San Francisco already regulate driver leases.
There are approximately 1,500 taxicab drivers in Seattle. Drivers are dispatched via four taxicab associations: Farwest Taxi, North End Taxi, Orange Cab and Yellow Cab.
“We aim to make sure cab drivers - the vast majority of whom are immigrants - get a fair shake,” Nickels said. “The taxicab industry offers a foot in the door to the American dream. Our new regulations will ensure drivers are not taken advantage of as they build a better life here.”
Eighty-nine percent of the taxicabs drivers were born outside the United States: half come from Africa (mostly Ethiopia and Somalia) and another 27 percent hail from India. Most cab owners started as drivers and have lived in the United States for between five and 10 years, working minimum wage entry-level jobs before becoming cab drivers. By driving taxicabs, they generally increase their hourly incomes by one-third to one-half, while maintaining flexible work schedules.
“Driving a cab gives immigrant drivers a chance to make regular, extended visits to their birth countries,” said Craig Leisy, who oversees Seattle taxicab licensing program. “Generally, we’ve found taxicab drivers are pretty happy with their work even though city driving can be stressful. Many of the younger men are attending college or voc tech training. It’s definitely a stepping-stone for them.”
Seattle regulates its taxicab industry to promote safe, efficient and economical services for consumers. Seattle’s taxicab industry is an integral part of the regional transportation infrastructure, offering curb-to-curb service and connection to many other transportation modes. Seattle’s taxicab industry is a privately owned for-profit $70 million per year enterprise that operates without subsidies.
Visit the mayor’s Web site at www.seattle.gov/mayor. Get the mayor’s inside view on initiatives to promote transportation, public safety, economic opportunity and healthy communities by signing up for The Nickels Newsletter at www.seattle.gov/mayor/newsletter_signup.htm
Download Climate Friendly Cabs Overview - Acrobat PDF
Download chart Taxicab Drivers -- Country/Region of Birth - Acrobat PDF
Download Attachment A -- Seattle Taxicab Fleet
Potential Annual Greenhouse Gas Emissions - Acrobat PDF
Download Attachment B -- Taxicab Fleet Vehicle Cost Comparison - Acrobat PDF
Download Attachment C -- Summary of Proposed Revisions to Taxi Code - Acrobat PDF
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Office of the Mayor
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