Are Yellow Taxis Turning Green?

It’s a well known truth that taking public transportation is a great way to help the environment. But did you know that public transportation itself is going green too? Watch this interesting video to learn the “story of how the hybrid taxi made its way to the streets of New York City and the beneficial impact this development will have on the environment and citizens of New York.”

Recently, Mayor Bloomberg along with the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission Board of Commissioners approved a financial incentive program to increase the use of fuel efficient and environmentally friendly taxicabs right here in the Big Apple. With over 13,000 cabs roaming the city streets everyday, most people may not know that there are already 1,551 fuel efficient cabs. TLC Chairman Matthew Daus summarizes the decision clearly in a statement he made, saying: "[Environmentally friendly taxicabs] save drivers around $6,500 per year and have been passing inspections 85 percent of the time, as compared to the average 54 percent for other prevalent taxicab vehicles. Switching to a hybrid makes more sense for drivers’ wallets, and for our environment." Check out this site to hear more of what Daus and Bloomberg have to say.

Here at Overbrook, we’ve supported grantees like The Natural Resources Defense Council that are dedicatedly following green taxi cabs too. Check out what Kate Sinding of New York City has to say in her blog on NRDC’s Switchboard. Or, like Bennett Madison says in his blog, “The gas-saving engines are a perfect fit for cabbies, who do nothing but accelerate and brake all day long and who stand to profit from reduced fuel costs.” Overall, this decision looks like a big step in the right direction towards a more sustainable mode of transport and hopefully greener cities across the US.

But that’s not all, at least in New York City….

MTA New York City Transit has complete descriptions on their website describing how not just taxis, but trains, buses, and subways are doing their part to improve the environment. Between their “Sustainable Development” and “Green Building Program,” to water and electricity conservation, New York City looks to be working hard to transport its seven million people in a more energy efficient way. For example, MTA subways now use regenerative breaking to conserve what would be lost energy while traveling, and even are replacing incandescent train signals with more sustainable LED lights-saving NYC Transit $4.8 million a year. And, not only does NYC have the largest hybrid-running bus fleet in North America, but some people may still be surprised to learn that Brooklyn’s Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue station is run completely by 210 kilowatts of solar power. To learn more about how green Gotham truly is check out this site, and keep using public transportation.