My Letter to NYC Councilman John Liu

Councilman Liu:

Regarding the ethos of the PlaNYC program laid out by the Bloomberg administration, I have identified an area of our city’s transportation infrastructure that could be made significantly “greener” using a simple low cost solution. Considering your role as the Chairperson of the Transportation Committee and your strong record of advocating for reducing congestion on the streets of NYC, I was hoping to attract your attention to a project I have been working on, tirelessly, for over a year now. I also understand that you are very focused on bringing more efficiency to the transportation complex of district 20, as well as all of Queens; my project would add a new, affordable, green alternative to the already existing infrastructure by providing all New Yorkers with another way to get around the city using already existing technologies. I, along with an NYU computer science major, have mapped out and designed a platform, which takes full advantage of the opportunity to leverage the astounding capabilities of a truly wireless world wide web coupled with the current taxi and limousine infrastructure to design a cab sharing network. I am aware that other groups have taken on the challenge of trying to create platforms that allow for seamless and efficient cab sharing programs, or as Mayor Bloomberg put it in his most recent State of the City Address, “multiple fare taxi and limousine rides”, but in my research I have realized that their platforms do not operate in a way that fully anticipates how NYC cab goers will actually engage those platforms.

I know that our platform, as well as any other cab sharing platform, can only be effective if it is implemented on a scale that is currently out of the reach of our capabilities. But, with your participation and influence, this platform we have created, will be given a fighting chance. A chance to help revolutionize the way New Yorkers use cabs and ultimately, help to serve in the greater plan, which is to reduce overall CO2 emissions, mitigate increasingly repressive traffic congestion, provide another transportation option and create much needed transportation cost reductions for New Yorkers, who like the rest of America, are feeling the effects of a severe economic slowdown. Between rising fares and reduced service on the part of the MTA, New Yorkers are finding themselves running out of viable alternatives for getting around this great city quickly and cost effectively.

From an operational point of view, your involvement with Cabcorner.com does not have to be as a financial backer or an administrator; we simply need your public support. Looking down the road, it might make sense for all parties involved to intertwine ourselves more comprehensively, but given the current economic climate, your support would allow us to secure private funding and resources that are seemingly out of reach at the present time, and that fact alone will allow us to keep moving forward on this immensely important project.

If you would consider taking a meeting with me so I can show you in more detail how our platform works and share with you our larger vision for this project, I would greatly appreciate it. If you are interested in viewing our platform as it stands now (for public viewing we have a nuts and bolt frame work demonstrating how it would work, currently up on the web), you may visit us on the web at www.Cabcorner.com (we also have a blog that might be of interest, www.blog.cabcorner.com), thank you for your time.