Mayor Bloomberg's plan to mandate a standardized taxi for the streets of New York was given a potentially fatal blow this week by a State Supreme Court judge. With his successors unlikely to take up the legal battle, the plan appears doomed.
"A judge on Tuesday blocked New York City’s plan for a nearly uniform fleet of yellow taxis, dealing a potentially decisive blow to one of the Bloomberg administration’s signature transportation initiatives," reports Matt Flegenheimer. "Justice Shlomo S. Hagler of State Supreme Court in Manhattan said the city’s Taxi and Limousine Commission had exceeded its authority in devising a plan to require that nearly all yellow taxi operators purchase the same vehicle, a Nissan NV200 — the model chosen by the city as part of the Taxi of Tomorrow competition in 2011."
"The legal headaches wrought by the Nissan Taxi of Tomorrow — criticized since its inception for being neither a hybrid nor wheelchair-accessible (unless modified) — may not disappear with the cab itself," notes Felgenheimer. "Nissan, which secured a 10-year contract with the city worth an estimated $1 billion, may seek to recoup production costs and other expenses already incurred. A spokesman said the company was 'evaluating options for next steps regarding the exclusivity contract,' adding that the company had already invested more than $50 million in the program."
FULL STORY: Court Blocks City’s Plan for ‘Taxis of Tomorrow’

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.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Defunct Pittsburgh Power Plant to Become Residential Tower
A decommissioned steam heat plant will be redeveloped into almost 100 affordable housing units.

Trump Prompts Restructuring of Transportation Research Board in “Unprecedented Overreach”
The TRB has eliminated more than half of its committees including those focused on climate, equity, and cities.

Amtrak Rolls Out New Orleans to Alabama “Mardi Gras” Train
The new service will operate morning and evening departures between Mobile and New Orleans.
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