Why Hailing a Taxi May Soon Be Ancient History

Ted Mann explores the new wave of mobile applications changing the way cabs and their customers interact, which could make the act of physically hailing a cab obsolete in as soon as five years.

1 minute read

September 25, 2012, 12:00 PM PDT

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


From Hailo to Get Taxi, a number of promising applications are lining up to get regulatory approval to start connecting taxis to customers in New York and other American cities. As Mann explains, "The apps all work slightly differently, but in general they allow
smartphone users to see where available cabs are, alert drivers that
they need a ride, and store credit-card or debit-card information so
they can pay for the trip without exchanging money or swiping a card."

Unfortunately, in many cities, outdated regulations written long before the rise of smartphones must be revised to allow a handful of tasks that would allow the apps to be fully functional.  

"'Technology is moving at lightning speed,' and the regulatory process is
not, says Matthew Daus, a former New York City taxi commissioner whose
law firm, Windels Marx Lane & Mittendorf LLP, is advising regulators
about new technologies. 'We're at a regulatory fork in the road,' Mr.
Daus adds. The crafting of new rules 'has the opportunity to be the
greatest potential achievement if it's done right,' he says. 'Or it
could be the biggest disaster ever' if it fails to let the industry
benefit fully from the latest technologies."

Friday, September 21, 2012 in The Wall Street Journal

Chicago Intercity Rail

Amtrak Ramping Up Infrastructure Projects

Thanks to federal funding from the 2021 infrastructure act, the agency plans to triple its investment in infrastructure improvements and new routes in the next two years.

September 25, 2023 - Smart Cities Dive

Google maps street view of San Francisco alleyway.

Ending Downtown San Francisco’s ‘Doom Loop’

A new public space project offers an ambitious vision—so why is the city implementing it at such a small scale?

September 26, 2023 - Fast Company

Google street view of yellow "End Freeway 1/4 mile" sign on 90 freeway in Los Angeles, California.

Proposal Would Transform L.A.’s ‘Freeway to Nowhere’ Into Park, Housing

A never-completed freeway segment could see new life as a mixed-use development with housing, commercial space, and one of the county’s largest parks.

September 26, 2023 - Los Angeles Times

Close-up of 'bike lane' road sign with bike logo

Report: U.S. Biking Boom Slows

The pandemic bike boom is petering out, but more Americans are biking than ever before, signaling a need for cities to keep improving bike infrastructure and make roads safer for cyclists.

40 minutes ago - Streetsblog USA

Newly constructed houses in Tempe, Arizona.

Tempe Historic Preservation Proposal Could Make it Harder to Build New Homes

Proposed changes to the city’s preservation ordinance would make two-thirds of the city’s housing stock eligible for preservation.

1 hour ago - The State Press

Blue and green city bus blurred in transit on New York City street.

How to Measure Transit Equity

A new report highlights the need to go beyond traditional equity metrics to assess how public transit systems are serving the lowest-income and most disadvantaged riders.

2 hours ago - Mineta Institute

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.