Taxi Stand
Happy birthday yellow cab. The first motorized taxi rolled onto the streets of Manhattan 100 years ago, and over the decades it has become an icon of New York life.
But even icons need an update now and then. Roughly 80 percent of New York’s 13,000 taxis are Ford Crown Victorias, a model that is nearly 30 years old. Like many vehicles of that vintage, they get about 10 miles to the gallon.
This week the Design Trust for Public Space, a non-profit dedicated to improving the city’s parks, plazas and streets, exhibited eight proposed taxi designs outside the New York International Auto Show.
Our favorite was the Standard Taxi, which was designed with input from cab drivers around the country. Scheduled to go into production next year, the Standard Taxi has a surprisingly spacious interior with room for a wheelchair, bicycle or stroller. And it comes with its own ramp.
When we came by to check out a modified Chrysler PT Cruiser, its hood was up and a small crowd was inspecting its electric engine installed by Hybrid Technologies to make it a zero-emission vehicle with a projected range of 120 miles between charges.
We’ve spent more than our share of time trying to hail a cab in the rain. So we were particularly keen on the interactive taxi stand designed by Weisz + Yoes which uses global positioning technology to summon nearby taxis while you check maps or guidebooks on a LCD screen.
But even icons need an update now and then. Roughly 80 percent of New York’s 13,000 taxis are Ford Crown Victorias, a model that is nearly 30 years old. Like many vehicles of that vintage, they get about 10 miles to the gallon.
This week the Design Trust for Public Space, a non-profit dedicated to improving the city’s parks, plazas and streets, exhibited eight proposed taxi designs outside the New York International Auto Show.
Our favorite was the Standard Taxi, which was designed with input from cab drivers around the country. Scheduled to go into production next year, the Standard Taxi has a surprisingly spacious interior with room for a wheelchair, bicycle or stroller. And it comes with its own ramp.
When we came by to check out a modified Chrysler PT Cruiser, its hood was up and a small crowd was inspecting its electric engine installed by Hybrid Technologies to make it a zero-emission vehicle with a projected range of 120 miles between charges.
We’ve spent more than our share of time trying to hail a cab in the rain. So we were particularly keen on the interactive taxi stand designed by Weisz + Yoes which uses global positioning technology to summon nearby taxis while you check maps or guidebooks on a LCD screen.
Posted by: Michael Cannell on Apr 12, 07 at 03:00 PM PDT
