From Yassky to Daus, Cab Sharing efforts Endure

Setting aside the issue of how to measure the success of cab sharing in NYC thus far, one thing can be surmised from the programs that have been proposed by both the current and former commissioners of the TLC, cab sharing will play an important role in New York City’s transportation future.

In light of cogestion problems and obvious unmet capacity, Matthew Daus, the former TLC commisioner, understood the need for the taxi cab industry to try something new and bold. His proposal was met with both enthusiasm and trepidation, as most novel concepts often are. His ride sharing stands, all of which which are located in or near mid town Manhattan, are designed to reduce the strain on both the streets and the commuters, particularly during rush hours. And although the program is off to a slow start having launched this past March, the concept has seen the light of day and is being tested in real time situations. It can only benefit from this process and will undounbtedly be reviewed for “what about it worked” and what about it did not work — and will be revamped accordingly.

But Daus is not alone in attempting to innovate the cab industry by way of introducing ride sharing policies. David Yassky, the new commissioner, has continued these efforts by announcing a ride sharing program from La Guardia airport, which is notorious for providing sub par transportation options to and from its location. Yassky hopes to make it more affordable, environmentally friendly and reasonable for travelers to get to their city wide destinations.

And even more recently, as of this week, Mayor Bloomberg’s office in conjunction with Yassky’s office has proposed van ride sharing to help those in areas where the MTA has been forced, due to budget constraints, to eliminate bus routes. These routes are critical for many outer borough residents and the city is scrambling to create viable solutions, one of which is to erect ride sharing programs that involve the coordination of riders, drivers and routes to meet the complicated demand of transporting large numbers of people on a daily basis around NYC.

These solutions as i see them, all speak to one larger issue and that is tackling the issues surrounding how a city as large and complicated as NYC, will meet the challenges of tomorrow’s urban transportation needs. Finding ways to share resources by more efficiently leveraging the current infrastructure will certainly be at the center of any major transportation proposal that is to be presented in both the near and distant future.