NYC's Taxi and Limousine Commission approved a pilot program for apps that will allow users to request a yellow taxi ride on their smartphones rather than having to “raise [their] arms toward oncoming traffic” the old-fashioned way.
Skittish about considering the permanent usage of increasingly popular cab-hailing apps like Hailo, Uber, and GetTaxi, the commission only considering a pilot program for a trial period, and voted to limit such use to a certain geographic reach. Opponents of apps fear it will jeopardize business and “violate the industry's long-standing ban on prearranged rides in yellow taxis” wrote Matt Flengenheimer in The New York Times prior to the vote.“The tussle over smartphone apps has highlighted tensions facing a city that often trumpets its tech-friendliness but has been criticized by app developers and users for not moving quickly enough to support such services,” he said. Meanwhile, in a recent blog post, Travis Kalanick, the chief executive of Uber, the cab-hailing app that recently debuted in the city then stopped services just weeks later, told customers to try his product “in more innovation-friendly cities” like Boston and Toronto, reported Flegenheimer.
Taxi drivers won't be the only ones having to adapt to the new rules. "The move to open New York’s taxi market to apps will require adaptation from app companies like Hailo, Uber, GetTaxi and others, whose products are in use in other markets but do not yet conform to the requirements laid out in the TLC’s new rules," notes Ted Mann. "The regulations approved Thursday, among other requirements, will mandate that any app interfaces directly with the existing taximeter system in the city’s taxi fleet when calculating fares. The rules also disallow payment of additional fees to drivers who find customers using an app, as opposed to a street hail."
FULL STORY: Vote Clears Way for Taxi-Hailing Apps

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

Cal Fire Chatbot Fails to Answer Basic Questions
An AI chatbot designed to provide information about wildfires can’t answer questions about evacuation orders, among other problems.

What Happens if Trump Kills Section 8?
The Trump admin aims to slash federal rental aid by nearly half and shift distribution to states. Experts warn this could spike homelessness and destabilize communities nationwide.

Sean Duffy Targets Rainbow Crosswalks in Road Safety Efforts
Despite evidence that colorful crosswalks actually improve intersection safety — and the lack of almost any crosswalks at all on the nation’s most dangerous arterial roads — U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy is calling on states to remove them.
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.
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie