NY Taxi Exhibit

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Design Trust for Public Space

http://www.designtrust.org

Copyright 2008 by the

Design Trust for Public Space.All rights reserved.

Authors

Megan Canning

Stephanie Elson

Deborah Marton

Leslie McBeth

Editor

Megan Canning

Collage Design

(used for section breaks

and page headers)

Michael Dyer and Min Kim,

Imagination (USA) Inc.

Book Design

Jena Sher Design


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The Design Trust for Public Space is a non-profit organization

dedicated to improving New York Citys parks, plazas, streets,

and public buildings. Design Trust projects enrich the

urban experience for all New Yorkers by turning good designintentions into reality. We bring together neighborhoods,

public agencies, and design professionals to find innovative

opportunities for change, making the city more beautiful,sustainable, and available to all. To ensure that Design Trust

projects become a reality in the public realm, we will not

initiate a project without the full collaboration of the city

agency or community group best situated to implement theprojects results.

To celebrate the yellow cabs hundredth anniversary, the

Design Trust launched Taxi 07, a project to encourageimprovements to the taxi vehicle and the whole taxi system.

Taxi 07sgoal was to demonstrateunequivocally and byexample that the yellow cab can powerfully communicate

New York Citys commitment to sustainable mobility, accessfor all, and great design. Taxi 07had three distinct parts:

an exhibit of taxi prototypes and system improvements at

the 2007 New York International Auto Show; a related publicawareness campaign; and, in partnership with the New York

City Taxi & Limousine Commission, the publication of Taxi07: Roads Forward, the first-ever strategic plan for improving

the New York City taxi system.

This publication presents a comprehensive overview of the

Design Trusts Taxi 07 Exhibit at the 2007 New York Inter-

national Auto Show, Jacob Javits Convention Center, April 615,

2007. The exhibit displayed eight taxi prototypes, two historictaxis, and many options for future vehicle and system-wide

improvements. With information on everything from sustain-ability and fuel efficiency to ease of use and accessibility

to system stats and taxi history, the exhibit was the most

comprehensive display of information on New York Citys

taxis ever mounted.

Deborah Marton, Executive Director

Design Trust for Public SpaceApril 2008

Michael DiVito


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Founding Support:

Presenting Exhibit Sponsor:

Opening Night Sponsor:

Major Support:

Taxi Sponsors: Media Sponsor:

Cabbie Sponsors:

Checker Sponsors:

Medallion Sponsors:

This exhibit was also supported, in part, with public funds from the New York City Depart-ment of Cultural Affairs, and the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.

DEBORAH BERKE & PARTNERSARCHITECTS LLP

nymag.com

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Hailing a yellow cabwith its promise

of freedom, power, and anonymityis the quintessential New York City

act. So deeply rooted is this notion

that visitors count hailing a cab amongtop tourist attractions, like visiting the

Empire State Building or Rockefeller

Center. Step off the curb, stick an arm

in the air, and it can take you whereyou want to go day or night.

But like so many legends encountered

in person, the reality is disappointing.With their many makeshift adaptations,

wrought over decades, current cabs

whisk passengers through New Yorksdynamic streets under circumstances

that feel provisional and look like a

mess. Although taxis currently provide

an essential New York experience, fewwould disagree that they should be

more ergonomic (for passengers and

drivers), more environmentally sus-

tainable, more accessible, even moreelegantin short, more expressive

of values New Yorkers care about.

THE DESIGN TRUST AND TAXIS

Recognizing the taxis latent potential,

in late 2004, Paul Herzan, Chair ofthe Cooper-Hewitt National Design

Museum, wrote a short note to Andrea

Woodner, Design Trust founder and

at that time a co-executive director. Inhis view, as the icon of all things New

York and the space of entry for millions

of tourists every year, taxis should look

and function much better. He wondered,would the Design Trust consider a

project about taxis?

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Michael DiVito

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TAXIS ARE A PUBLIC SPACE

The Design Trust would not have been

the right organization to undertake acar design project. But taxis are more

than just a carcollectively they form

a system that includes passengers,drivers, fleet owners, garages that

service and own taxis, and regulatory

agencies like the New York City Taxi

and Limousine Commission and theDepartment of Transportation. That

social, political, and economic systemincludes the streets and sidewalks

that taxis and passengers rely on andthat every New Yorker maintains

with tax dollars.

This civic investment in taxi infra-structure, buttressed by laws that oblige

taxis to service anyone who hails them,

points to an important fact: taxis arean extension of New York City's public

space. Just as Fifth Avenue or Grand

Central Terminal have a distinct public

identity, enjoyed by anyone who has

ever strolled past the Plaza Hotelor stood under the starry ceiling of the

main hall, so too does the taxi. Like

all great public spaces, New York cabsboth serve the city and stand as an

important part of its identity.

Once understood as a public space

issue, it became clear that no other

New York City organization was better

situated to take this on. The DesignTrust methodto identify and engage

all stakeholders at the start of a

projectwas ideally suited to addressa complicated system like taxis. Sincewe will not inaugurate a project with-

out the collaboration of the city agency

or community group best able to

implement any designs we develop,the first step was to engage New Yorks

taxi regulators, the New York City

Taxi & Limousine Commission (TLC).

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DESIGNING THE TAXI

Aware of the Design Trusts rigorous,nonpartisan, unconventional approach

to public space projects, the TLC

recognized the opportunity to advance

their operations and welcomed theDesign Trusts efforts. In Spring 2005,

we inaugurated the project with two

workshops, called Designing the Taxi,undertaken to determine the current

state of the taxi system and identify

constraints and possibilities. A broadrange of taxi stakeholders participatedin the workshopsmany of which had

never interacted before. Participants

included the TLC, fleet owners, drivers,

landscape architects, urban planners,vehicle and industrial designers,

graphic artists, medallion holders,

representatives of City agencies, civicgroups and others. The Design Trust

developed the workshop findings

into an illustrated publication and an

exhibit that was held at Parsons TheNew School for Design from November

2005 through January 2006.

TAXI 07

Encouraged by the outpouring of

support for the project from the TLC,

the industry, and the public, in thesummer of 2006, the Design Trust

launched Taxi 07, a new project

designed to take the ideas generated

by Designing the Taxito the nextlevel. Taxi 07had a dual focus: the

taxi vehicle and the taxi system.

THE TAXI VEHICLE: TAXI 07 EXHIBIT

Taxi vehicle improvements were on

display at our Taxi 07 Exhibit, held at

the 2007 New York International AutoShow, April 615, 2007. The exhibit

occupied over 5,000 square feet, and

was free and open to the public. Over100,000 visitors experienced the most

comprehensive display of information

on New York Citys taxis ever mounted.

To create taxi prototypes, the Design

Trust invited auto manufacturers,

some of the nations top industrial

designers, and design students. Froma re-designed roof light to a purpose-

built, wheelchair-accessible taxi to

an air filter that turns each taxi into a

mobile air purifier, the Taxi 07 Exhibit

displayed real, feasible improvements,including eight fully functional vehicle

prototypes and a range of taxi infra-structure (this publication includes

detailed descriptions of exhibit content).

The exhibit received broad coverage

from local, national and internationalpress, including five New York Times

articles, an AM New Yorkcover, and an

episode of the PBS series, New York

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Chris Kannen

Voices, to name just a few of the morethan 70 print, television, radio, and

web-based pieces to feature the exhibit.

Inspired by the exhibit, Consumer

Reports conducted and published astudy on replacing the NYC taxi fleet

with an improved taxi vehicle.

The Taxi 07 Exhibit was a catalyst

for change. As a result of the Taxi 07

project, TLC is now working with the

New York City Economic DevelopmentCorporation to develop a vehicle tech-

nical specification for a new, sustain-

able taxi that will be custom-made

for the streets of New York City. As ofthe date of this publication, the Design

Trust remains actively engaged in the

process as an advisor to the TLCs

Taxi of Tomorrow project.

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THE TAXI SYSTEM:

TAXI 07: ROADS FORWARD//A fundamental premise of Taxi 07was that New Yorks taxi services form

a systeman interdependent networkof people, vehicles and the city itself.

The Design Trusts publication, Taxi 07:Roads Forward, published in collabora-

tion with the TLC and released inDecember 2007, analyzes the current

taxi system and outlines taxi-improve-

ment strategies that are feasible and

cost-effective over a 10-year period.Roads Forwardwas created to give the

City of New York and the TLC the

best and most thorough informationavailable about the state of the taxi

system today and to detail ways to

improve this crucial transit link. The

TLC and the New York City Councilreceived Roads Forwardwith enthus-

iasm; both agencies are working

to implement some of the taxi system

improvements it recommends.

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mgmt. design

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The scale of the Design Trusts efforts

to improve the New York City taxi andtaxi system was without precedent

in the organizations 12-year history.

This multi-year, multi-phase project

stands as a new way of working and animportant touchstone for future Design

Trust projects. Phase 1, the Designingthe Taxiworkshops and publication,were in essence a brainstorming ses-

sion, and to some extent, a feasibility

study. Phase 2, Taxi 07, built on thecredibility and relationships establishedwith that earlier project. The Taxi 07

Exhibit piloted vehicle innovations

that can be traced to Designing the

Taxi. Similarly, Taxi 07: Roads Forwarddeveloped and articulated policy guide-

lines to achieve some of the systemic

improvements first identified with

Designing the Taxi.

Early in the project, Paul Goldberger

recognized the value of this holisticapproach to improving a complex

civic system:

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By engaging every stakeholder at

the outset and providing an impartialcontext for expression of their per-

spectives, the Design Trust was able

to activate innovation in a system that

had been considered intractable fordecades. Improvements growing from

Designing the Taxiand Taxi 07to the

taxi and taxi system will be enjoyedby all New Yorkers for years to come.

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;2?F2CJ#!!'Taxi 07is presented to the NYC Taxi

& Limousine Commission

>2C49#!!'Design Trust holds first meeting with

fleet owners, drivers, automakers

and designers about Taxi 07

;F=J")#!!'Press conference at City Hall where

Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced

Taxi 07with Design Trust Executive

Director Deborah Marton

D6AE6>36C#!!'Executive Director Deborah Marton

presents Designing the Taxiand Taxi07at the International Association

of Transportation Regulators annualconference

;2?F2CJ")#!!(//Transforming an Icon, a panel discus-sion with the citys top designers at the

Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum

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//


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>2C49"*#!!( Mayors radio address about Taxi 07

>2C49#(#!!(Taxi 07segment on WNYCs

The Leonard Lopate Show

>2C49#*2AC:=$#!!(//Taxi 07 Exhibit Installation

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2AC:=%#!!(//Taxi 07 Exhibit Opening Night Partysponsored by Target

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Michael DiVito Michael DiVito


Michael DiVito


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Michael DiVito

Chris Kannen

Michael DiVito

above: Design Trust

Executive Director

Deborah Marton

and TLC Commis-

sioner Matthew Daus

holding the official

Mayoral Taxi Weekproclamation.

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2AC:=%#!!(//Empire State Building lit in taxi

yellow in honor of Taxi 07

2AC:='"!!(Official Taxi Week as proclaimed

by Mayor Michael Bloomberg

2AC:='"!!(Taxi 07 Exhibit, NY International Auto

Show, Jacob Javits Convention Center

//

//


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2AC:='#)#!!(Fares to Remember film series at IFC

Center. Films included Speedy,Taxi Driver, Midnight, Mona Lisa,

Taxi! 99 River Street, and Night

on Earth

2AC:="$#!!(Program about the taxi centennial

on the PBS Series New York Voices

2AC:="'"*#!!(Taxi 07 Exhibit dismantled

;F=J2F8FDE#!!(Cabbie Voices aired on Thirteen/

WNET as part of the Reel New York

independent film festival

5646>36C")#!!(//Joint press conference in Times

Square with NYC TLC Commissioner

Matthew Daus and Design TrustExecutive Director Deborah Marton

announcing publication of Taxi 07:Roads Forward

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Chris Kannen


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top: The information

booth, at the centerof the Taxi 07 Exhibit,

was a distribution center

for exhibit information

and memorabilia.

Michael DiVito

All exhibit participants were required

to address at least five of Taxi 07'sdesign challenges:

SHORT-TERM IMPROVEMENTSs partition with passenger servicess roof light with improved legibilitys integral child seatss skylights "greener" interior-compartment

materialss on-board air filterss additional passenger stands in outer

boroughs, with rideshare assistances additional relief stand locationss more stringent parking enforcements designation of taxi loading zones

near midtown street corners

Michael DiVito

LONG-TERM IMPROVEMENTS

s wheelchair accessibilitys improved interior compartments

and overall proportionss multiple vehicle typess cashless payment options that

integrate mass transit and

offer rewardss mobile-phone taxi hails redesigned cab standss integration of yellow-cab and

radio fleetsbottom: Design Trust

trustee Ted Berger

holding the officialTaxi 07 t-shirt.


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CNG-FUELED FORD

CROWN VICTORIA

NEW YORK STATE ENERGY

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

AUTHORITY (NYSERDA)//A conventional Ford Crown Victorias

fuel efficiency is comparable to a

Hummer H3 (17mpg vs. 16mpg forcity driving). This taxi is actually fueled

by Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)

a more sustainable alternative to

conventional gasolineand is a SuperUltra Low Emission Vehicle, thanks to

NYSERDA. NYSERDA runs the New

York City Clean Fuel Taxi Program,and pays dealerships $8,000 for each

natural gas taxi sold for use as a yellow

medallion cab. Since 1998 the pro-

gram has funded over 300 natural gastaxis, and has plans for 300 more

in the works.

KIA RONDO TAXI

KIA MOTORS AMERICA

WITH SMART DESIGN, ANTENNA

DESIGN, BIRSEL + SECK//The industrial design firm SmartDesign led a team of several NYC-

based design consultancies in a

unique collaboration with Kia MotorsAmerica to produce this prototype.

This partnership demonstrated that

combining a smaller vehicle with

a series of thoughtful innovations forboth drivers and passengers yields

a better experience for everyone. The

new 2007 Kia Rondo crossover vehicle

was an ideal platform for a taxi withits spacious interior cabin, versatile

seating and cargo areas, strong safety

features, and fresh, modern design.

The Rondo occupies a smaller foot-print than the Ford Crown Victoria and

delivers better gas mileage (20-21

mpg compared to 17 mpg).

Chris Kannen

Jason DeCesare

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KIA RONDO TAXI

KIA MOTORS AMERICA


DESIGN, BIRSEL + SECK CONT.

Outside, the exterior graphics were

designed by Smart Design to clearly

identify and energize the NYC taxibrand. Antenna Design addressed the

need for a legible, easy-to-understand

roof light with their LED-based

display that is visible in daylight andquickly communicates the cabs

status in simple descriptive terms,

such as vacant, exit and pick-up.

Inside, Birsel + Seck worked with

Smart Design to re-think the cabs

interior. A dedicated space keepsthe drivers belongings organized and

accessible, and an L-shaped partition

protects the driver while creating a

more open social space for passengers.An integrated, fold-down child seat

keeps children safe and secure, and

an on-board computer with touch-

screen display allows passengersto access GPS maps, news, and enter-

tainment and track their fares while

en route to their destination. SmartDesign also highlighted the seatbelts

in bright yellow to make them easier

to find, installed strobe lights on door

edges to alert oncoming bicyclists ofpassengers exiting, and added focused

LED lighting on seats, seatbelts,

and along the floor.

Birsel+Seck

Smart Design

Birsel+Seck Antenna Design

Smart Design

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KIA RONDO SKETCH MODEL

KIA MOTORS AMERICA


DESIGN, BIRSEL + SECK

Throughout the development process

for the Kia Rondo taxi, this full-size

sketch model was routinely takenapart and tacked together again while

designers explored a variety of options

for transforming the Rondo into a

yellow cab. Representing the moreconceptual vision of the designers, the

sketch model highlights additional

modifications that could be applied tothe Rondo taxi in the future.

Most notably, the design team experi-

mented with a passenger loungeconcept for the interior. The reconfigured

seating, with the front passenger seat

facing rearward, facilitates effortless

conversation between passengers andprovides ample legroom and space for

luggage. A panoramic skylight allows

for dramatic vertical views of the city

and enhanced LED-based interior lightingadds to the cool, lounge experience.

Jason DeCesare

Jason DeCesare

Jason DeCesare


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STANDARD TAXI

VEHICLE PRODUCTION GROUP

Designed and engineered from scratch,

the Standard Taxi was the only purpose-

built taxi in the Taxi 07 Exhibit.

Purpose-built vehicles are designed andconstructed for a specific use, like the

United States Post Office trucks used

to deliver mail safely and efficiently. Anordinary vehicle would not be adequate

for mail delivery, and an ordinary sedan

lacks features desirable in a taxi.Standard Taxis engineers employed

universal design strategiesthat is,

designing for the broadest range of

users possibleto create an exception-

ally accessible vehicle that seats fourpassengers plus a wheelchair or scooter.

Fully compliant with the Americans

with Disabilities Act (ADA), the StandardTaxi is equipped with a low floor, high

roof, 56-inch door opening, and

recessed access ramp for effortless

ingress and egress for everyone, includingthose in a wheelchair or scooter. The

trunk contains more than 26 cubic feet

of space (compared to 20.6 in the

Ford Crown Victoria taxi)big enoughto hold four golf bags and a spare tire.

Standard Taxi was engineered to be

durable and cost-efficient by employinggroundbreaking features like inter-

changeable door panels, fenders and

bumpers, and easy-to-maintain interiormaterials. The drivers seat has been

elevated for increased visibility and

lumbar support provided for comfort.

The Standard Taxi will offer a choiceof factory-installed fuel systemsgas-

oline (E85 compliant) or compressed

natural gas (CNG).

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Michael DiVito

Standard Taxi Standard Taxi

Michael DiVito Jason DeCesare

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L-PT CRUISER YELLOW CAB

HYBRID TECHNOLOGIES// This zero-emissions, fuel-free cab is a

Chrysler PT Cruiser converted by Hybrid

Technologies to support green trans-

portation in the city that never sleeps.With a top speed of 80 mph and a

range of 120 miles between charges,

its 312-volt electric drive, created byBallard Power Systems, offers superb

performance, design and durability.

CROWN VIC HI-RISER

RIDESTM MAGAZINE

WITH WHEEL CONCEPTS In tribute to the urban workhorse that

defines the New York City taxi, RIDESTMmagazine gave the Ford Crown Victoria

a makeoverhi-riser style. Born out

of Southern hip-hop car culture, ahi-riser, also known as a Donk, Box or

Bubble, is a tall, larger-than-life work of

rolling art. Hi-risers are characterized

by exaggerated ground clearance, largediameter wheels, bright color paint

jobs, aggressive stances and specially

tuned suspensions. This Crown Vic was

perched atop outsized 30-inch rimswith a hydraulic step-up ladder and

outfitted with the latest technology

and audio.

Jason DeCesare

Michael DiVito

//


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TOYOTA SIENNA WITH BRUNO

TURNING AUTOMOTIVE

SEATING (TAS)

BRONX AUTO GROUP WITH BRUNO

INDEPENDENT LIVING AIDS

As of this printing, there are over 1,300

Sienna taxis on the road in New York

Cityabout 10% of the total fleet. TheToyota Siennafirst approved for use

as a taxi in 2004has more headroom

and legroom in front and rear, more

passenger space (6 passengers and adriver), and double the cargo capacity

of the Crown Victoria. It has also proved

more durableonly 26% fail initialinspection compared to 56% of all

Crown Victorias.

The Sienna is the only minivan availabledomestically that meets the Ultra-Low

Emissions Vehicle II (ULEV-II) emissions

standard, though their fuel efficiency is

only marginally better than the CrownVictoria, at 14 to 16mpg. Fuel efficiency

will rise significantly when Toyota

releases the much-anticipated Siennahybrid in one to two years.

The most frequent complaint about

the Sienna is the difficulty of steppingup to get into the vehicle. This model

addresses that problem by including

Bruno Turning Automotive Seating.

The seat swings out of the vehicle,

allowing elderly and disabled passen-gers to move into and out of the taxi

with ease.

Michael DiVito


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WORLDS FASTEST TAXI

WORLDS FASTEST TAXI

This cab had a starring role in the2004 movie Taxi, starring Queen

Latifah and Jimmy Fallon. Now trans-

formed by California-based FordPerformance Solutions, the Worlds

Fastest Taxiwas designed to achieve

an astonishing 1,000 horsepower,

with a hydrogen engine that uses aProcharger F-2 supercharger, enabling

the car to reach projected speeds of

over 200 mph, with the goal of taking

the world hydrogen speed record.

Hydrogen fuel cell-powered cars are

emission-free, fuel efficient (45mpg)

and have incredible mile rangesgreat features for a taxi. The Worlds

Fastest Taxialso includes fully adjust-

able air suspension to buffer potholesand lower the car for smooth travel

at high speeds, and a nitrogen tire

system for improved gas mileage and

tire lifespan. Drivers would enjoy a

fully integrated PC (an Azentek AtlasCPC-1000) with Global PositioningSystem (GPS) navigation and business

management software to track fares.

Multiple video outputs allow eachpassenger to watch different program-

ming simultaneously.

Jason DeCesare

Chris Kannen


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1956 CHECKER A8

BRUCE ULRICH

Chris Kannen

Michael DiVito

Michael DiVito

Michael DiVito

After years of development, Checker

Cab Manufacturing of Kalamazoo,

Michigan unleashed their totally newcar in January 1956 amidst much

fanfare and anticipation. Checker was

the last cab with jump seats, and the

1956 model can pack eight passengersinto a car only 200 inches long.

The secret was to make the passenger

compartment a little longer than regu-

lar sedans, and to install two folding

seats that, when pulled out of the floor,aimed the jump seat passengers legs

at a 45-degree angle. It was a snug

setup but it worked for 26 years. The1975 Checker was among the last

models produced before the company

ceased manufacturing in 1982.

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1975 CHECKER

TAXIDEPOT

Michael DiVito

Chris Kannen Jason DeCesare


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ETAXI

TAXITECH//eTaxi is a passenger information

monitor (PIM). A PIM is a screenmounted on the passengers side of

the partition to offer riders interactive

content on a broad range of topicsfrom cultural and public service

information to real-time maps of the

cabs location to credit card processing.

By early 2008, all New York Citytaxis will have PIMs.

PREMAIR OZONE

DESTRUCTION CATALYST

BASF CATALYSTS LLC//An inexpensive coating that can be

applied to any vehicles radiator,

PremAir destroys harmful, ground-

level ozone and converts it into oxygen.Installed on over 3 million automotive

radiators throughout the world, PremAir

can destroy up to 75 percent of the

ozone that touches the radiator with no

significant impact on cooling or otherperformance attributes.

$#56D:8?ECFDE7@CAF3=:4DA246

BASF Catalysts

Chris Kannen

BASF Catalysts


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RICARDO HYBRID SYSTEM

RICARDO US

With a hybrid power train, energy

generated during braking is captured

and then used to power the batterya perfect fit for stop-and-go traffic.

When the car idles, the engine shuts

down, increasing energy savings and

reducing emissions. Most vehiclescan easily accommodate this system,

including taxis. If this technology

were applied to all New York City taxis,Ricardo estimates that 10 million

gallons of gas a year could be saved,

reducing greenhouse gas emissions

by 70,000 tons per year.

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Michael DiVito


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CERAMIC BRAKE PADS, CATALYTIC

CONVERTER, REGENERATIVE

BRAKING SYSTEM AND VARIABLE

TRANSMISSION

NEW YORK STATE ENERGY

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

AUTHORITY (NYSERDA)

NYSERDA has partnered with auto-

motive research and developmentcompanies to create components that

reduce fuel consumption and emis-

sions. On view were brake pads thatreduce fuel consumption by 3-8%; a

low-energy catalytic converter; a regen-

erative braking system that captures

energy normally lost during vehiclebraking; and a variable transmission

designed for city driving that improves

overall efficiency and fuel economy.

Michael DiVito


4@>A@?6?ED4@?E


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STRETCHFENCE TAXI DRIVER

RELIEF STATION

TRUCK PRODUCT ARCHITECTURE

Driver-relief stands allow drivers tolegally park their off-duty cabs and

take up to a 60-minute break. TRUCKs

proposal for the STRETCHfence driver-

relief stand imagines how a typical NewYork City Department of Parks and Rec-

reation fence could be transformed into

a piece of durable, inexpensive urban

furniture so drivers could stretch theirlegs, eat lunch and congregate.

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TRUCK Product Architecture

Michael DiVito

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INTERACTIVE TAXI STAND

WEISZ + YOES

This interactive taxi stand, designed

by the architecture firm Weisz +Yoes, would be connected to a Global

Positioning System (GPS), enabling it

to wirelessly hail all cabs in the area.

The design of this taxi stand is flexibleand modular, allowing it to be configured

based on available space.

The small version includes a singlepole with embedded technology; the

full version adds seating, a canopy,

and a restroom. All configurationsinclude digital wireless technology and

an LCD touch screen that allows users

to hail a cab, search maps for local

information, see live maps of all taxiswithin a 1/4 mile radius, calculate

fares, and more. Drivers would receive

data transmitted from the stand, allow-

ing them to find fares more efficiently.

Weisz + Yoes

Chris Kannen

Weisz + Yoes

Weisz + Yoes

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TAXI ZONE

BIRSEL + SECK

With their taxi zone design, Birsel+ Seck addressed the transition from

pedestrian to passenger, and from side-

walk to street, by colorfully demarcating

a section of roadway as a taxi loadingand unloading zone. Recalling an

elegant time in the citys past, the taxi

zone lamppost signals to oncoming taxidrivers that a passenger awaits pick-

up. A cab-only area such as this would

provide safer access for passengers and

cut down on erratic driving by cabbieshustling for fares.

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CITIXEN CAB, MINI-MODAL, MOGUL

HYBRID PRODUCT DESIGN &

DEVELOPMENT AND ANTHEM

CAB COMPANY

Hybrid Product Design & Developmentand Anthem Cab Company offer a trio

of taxi concept models to accommodate

all types of trips and passengers. Based

on an innovative new vehicle platformwhich maximizes the interior cabin

while maintaining a small overall foot-

print, each concept is fully wheel-chair accessible.

$)56D:8?ECFDE7@CAF3=:4DA246

Chris Kannen

Michael DiVito

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COLLEGE FOR CREATIVE

STUDIES (CCS)

DETROIT, MICHIGAN

The CCS Taxicreated by a team of

animation, transportation and graphicdesign studentsis powered by a

small hybrid/hydrogen fuel cell engine,

employs an advanced electronic drive

system, and emphasizes environmentallyfriendly materials.

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College for Creative Studies

Michael DiVito

College for Creative Studies

Michael DiVito


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ART CENTER COLLEGE OF DESIGN

PASADENA, CALIFORNIA

The students of Art Center College of

Design examined many forms of chauf-feured personal transportation, such

as airport shuttle vans, limousines,

and traditional taxis, and then worked

to remedy design shortfalls with anemphasis on an improved experience

for drivers and passengers.

PRATT INSTITUTE

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK

Pratt Institutes year-long Taxi Studio

focused on targeted improvements

like an easy-to-decipher roof light, an

intuitive driver display interface, aninformational interface for passengers,

a new partition design that facilitates

driver-passenger communication, anda giant waving hand taxi stand.

Michael DiVito

Jason DeCesare

Michael DiVito

Michael DiVito

Michael DiVito Jason DeCesare

>@56=D4@?E


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CABBIE VOICES

A Film by Shravan Vidyarthi

Trisha Solyn, Director of PhotographyProduced by the Design Trust

for Public Space, 2007

New York cabbies are intrinsic to thecitys identity, but few New Yorkers

really know who they are and what

their day is like. To understand taxi

drivers you need to walk a mile intheir shoesor ride a mile in their

back seats.

The Design Trusts Taxi 07 Exhibit

premiered filmmaker Shravan Vidyarthis

short film, Cabbie Voices. Shravan

hit the streets, rode around, ate, hungout at popular gas stations, and even

worked out at the gym with cabbies

over the course of several months.

The resulting film is an intimate portraitof drivers and their daily milieu.

bottom: Filmmaker

Shravan Vidyarthi(center) with some

of the taxi drivers

featured in his

film at the Taxi 07

Exhibit Opening

Night Party.

Chris Kannen

Michael DiVito

>F=E:>65:2


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top: Taxi drivers

waiting at JFK

airport.

middle: Driversshare afternoon

prayers while

parked in the

Central Taxi Hold

lot at JFK airport,

where they waitto be dispatched

to terminals. The

dispatch systemensures even

distribution across

terminals. The lot

combines parkingfor 700 cabs with

driver facilities,

including restrooms

and a 24-hour

cafeteria.

Stewart Simons

Stewart Simons

Michael DiVito

New York City has over 42,900 licensed

taxi drivers. Even within New Yorksrich cross-section of nationalities, the

taxi driver work-force is famously

diverse91% of drivers are immigrants,

representing 84 countries and speakingover 60 languages. Most drivers have

years of experiencean average of 9.2

years in 2005, with 42% of all driverslicensed for 11 years or more.

To operate a yellow cab in New YorkCity you need a taxi drivers license,a vehicle, and a medallion (a metal

emblem affixed to the hood of the cab

which licenses the vehicle to pick up

street hails). Due to high medallionprices (upwards of $500,000), less

than one-third of all New York City taxi

drivers own their own medallion, or

the vehicle they drive. Instead, themajority of drivers lease their vehicles

from large leasing agents or taxi fleets

on a per-shift or long-term basis.

New York taxi drivers travel 141

miles per day and spend an average

of 10 hours per day behind the wheel.In 2005, drivers made an average of

$158 per shift, for an annual income

of $35,000 for a 5-day week.

bottom: Medallion

affixed to historicChecker cab

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There are more than 170 million New

York City taxi trips each year, approxi-mately 470,000 trips each day. With

an average of 1.4 passengers per trip,

this represents around 240 millionpassengers each year, a number that

has remained constant since 1995.

While the current taxi system serves

some passengers quite well, othershave difficulty getting or using taxis.

Ideally, the taxi would be a purpose-

built vehicle designed only to be a taxi,instead of a mass-produced generaluse car repurposed for use as a cab.

Currently there are only 144 wheelchair

accessible taxis on the road out of over13,000about 1% of all vehicles.

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Andy Cross

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The Taxi 07 Exhibit showcased many

enhancements to the taxi vehiclethat would improve their environmental

sustainability, including:

1. ALTERNATIVE FUELS

There are over four-dozen hybrid and

alternative fuel vehicles currently

available in the U.S., but in 2007,

most NYC taxis still ran on conventionalgasoline. To meet the Mayors mandate

that cabs achieve 30mpg or better,it is anticipated that all cabs will behybrid-electric by 2012. Other future

fueling options displayed at the Taxi 07

Exhibit included: compressed natural

gas, hydrogen, electric, and gas-electric.

2. SUSTAINABLE INTERIORS

Sustainable vehicle design extends

beyond the engine: a greener cab couldbe designed, produced, and main-

tained without using toxic, harmful,

or pollution-producing materials andprocesses. A greener cab could also

be recyclable, designed to easily breakdown to component materials that

would be repurposed, or sold for profit,rather than becoming waste.

3. FUEL EFFICIENCY

Alternative fuels are not the only wayto reduce gasoline consumption

and emissions. According to the U.S.

Department of Energy, up to 85%

of energy produced by conventionalgasoline vehicles is lost to engine

and driveline inefficiencies and idling.

There are many ways to retrofit currenttaxis and to improve vehicle compo-

nents to improve their fuel efficiency

and sustainability.

TLC Inspection

Facility, Woodside,

Queens. Hose pipes

on the testing floor

extract exhaust foremissions diagnos-

tics, just one of

many tests each cab

must undergo.

Stewart Simons


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Media coverage of the exhibit was

copious and substantial, with feature

stories appearing in newspapers (13),

magazines (12), on television (15),radio (5), international media (15) and

online (26+). The exhibit even garnered

a few jokes on late night television by

Jay Leno and Conan OBrian. Selectedquotes and a full list of media

coverage follow.

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Press covering the

Taxi 07 Exhibitpress conference.

Leslie McBeth

Michael DiVito


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TELEVISION STATION / PROGRAM

ABC (WABC) / Eyewitness News

CW11 / Morning News

Fox (WNYW) / Fox 5 News at 5Fox (WNYW) / Fox 5 News at 10

Fox (WNYW) / Good Day New York

First Edition

Fox (WNYW) / Good Day New YorkWake Up

NBC / The Late Show with Conan

OBrien

NBC / Tonight Show with Jay LenoNBC (WNBC) / Today in New York

NY1 / The Call

NY1 / News All DayNY1 / News All Morning

NY1 / News at Eleven

WNET/Thirteen / New York Voices

Episode dedicated to Taxi 07Reel New York

WWOR / My 9 News

INTERNATIONAL TELEVISION/RADIO

ARD Radio (Germany)

ARD TV (Germany)

Associated Press TelevisionBBC World (England)

Columbia Radio

French TV (France)

FUJI-TV (Japan)RAI Corporation (Italy)

Reuters TV

Russian TV (Russian)Telemundo

Telemundo 47/NBC

Televisa

TV Asahi America (Japan)Univision

RADIO

Leonard Lopate ShowNPR

1010 WINS

WCBS 880AM (2 stories)WFUV

WNYC

NEWSPAPERS

amNew York (front cover)

Charlottesville Daily

Chicago TribuneDaily NewsNew York Post

New York Times Automobiles

New York Times CityNew York Times Metro

New York Times Op-Ed

New York Times Week in Review

Oakland Press

MAGAZINES

Architects Newspaper

Brownbook Magazine (Dubai)Car Magazine (UK)

MAX Ukraine

Metropolis

Metropolis Buenos AiresMetropolis Magazine

Motorpress International

RIDESTM Magazine

SurfaceTime Out New York

Weekend Weekly Hong Kong

ONLINE

AMNY Tracker

ABC 7 Online

ABC NewsThe Auto Channel

Automotive Digest

Bauhaus WeblogCar and Driver

CNET

Consumer Reports

Core 77

CW11Dexigner

Edmunds.com

GothamistInterior Design Online

Media Bistro

New York MagazineNew York Times Metro Blog

New York Times Technology

News.com

NY1Reuters

Reuters Second Life

Variety.com

Yahoo! Finance


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The Taxi 07 Exhibit catalyzed a sea

change in the New York City taxi

system. With the Mayors announce-ment in May 2007 that all taxis

must get 30 miles to the gallon by

2012, and TLCs Taxi of Tomorrow

project working to design a New YorkCity-specific taxi, the results of the

Design Trusts Taxi 07 project will

soon be seen on our streets.

Further, new taxi logos that debutedat the Taxi 07 Exhibit can now be seen

on all cabs, replacing the old stenciland sticker method of communicating

important taxi information to passengers.

top: TLCCommissionerMatthew Dausunveiling thenew taxi logoat the Taxi 07Exhibit pressconference.

bottom: The newtaxi logo as seenon the streetsof Times Squarein December2007.

Michael DiVito

Megan Canning


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Documents

NY Taxi Exhibit