Int. No. 352-A
By Council Members Gennaro, The Speaker (Council Member Quinn), Liu, Yassky, Koppell, Mendez, Clarke, Comrie, Fidler, Foster, James, Mark-Viverito, McMahon, Palma, Recchia Jr., Sanders Jr., Seabrook, Stewart, Weprin, White Jr., Jackson, Nelson, Gentile, Garodnick, Lappin, Sears, Lanza and The Public Advocate (Ms. Gotbaum)
A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to creating a plan to promote the use of clean air and accessible taxicabs and for-hire vehicles.
Be it enacted by the Council as follows:
Section 1. Section 19-533 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended to read as follows:
§ 19-533 Clean air taxis. The commission shall approve one or more hybrid electric vehicle models for use as a taxicab within ninety days after the enactment of this law. The approved vehicle model or models shall be eligible for immediate use by all current and future medallion owners[, including successful bidders for medallions sold pursuant to local law number 51 for the year 2003]. For the purposes of this [law] chapter, a hybrid electric vehicle shall be defined as a commercially available mass production vehicle originally equipped by the manufacturer with a combustion engine system together with an electric propulsion system that operates in an integrated manner.
§ 2. Chapter 5 of title 19 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 19-534 to read as follows:
§ 19-534 Clean air and accessible taxicab and for-hire vehicle plan. a. Definitions. For the purposes of this section only, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
(1) "Accessible vehicle" shall mean any taxicab or for-hire vehicle approved for use by the commission as a taxicab or for-hire vehicle that meets the specifications and requirements for accessible vehicles pursuant to the americans with disabilities act of 1990, as amended, and rules promulgated by the commission.
(2) "Clean air vehicle" shall mean any taxicab or for-hire vehicle approved for use by the commission that receives an air pollution score of 9.5 or higher from the United States environmental protection agency or its successor agency and is estimated to emit 5.0 tons or less of equivalent carbon dioxide per year by the United States department of energy or its successor agency; provided that such vehicle is powered by the fuel for which such vehicle meets the above-specified standards. In the event the test method used by the United States environmental protection agency or its successor agency for determining fuel economy is adjusted in a way that impacts United States department of energy or its successor agency estimates of equivalent carbon dioxide emissions for motor vehicles, the commission shall, for vehicles that fall within the affected model years, modify by rule the equivalent carbon dioxide emissions estimate included herein so as to appropriately reflect such adjustment's impact consistent with the intent of this section.
b. No later than one hundred eighty days after the effective date of this section, the commission shall develop and approve a plan to significantly increase the number of clean air and accessible vehicles in New York city. Such plan shall include, but not be limited to:
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- a description of specific measures the commission will implement, or recommend to
- the mayor and the council for implementation through local law, to increase the number of clean air and accessible vehicles and periodic goals for achieving such increases;
- a schedule, including interim and final milestones, for implementing such measures;
- and
- an education campaign regarding clean air and accessible vehicles that provides
taxicab and for-hire vehicle owners and prospective owners with information regarding the availability, costs and savings, and benefits of such vehicles for such owners. Such information may include, but is not limited to: (i) for available clean air vehicle models: the fuel economy of such vehicles, as compared with other models typically used as taxicabs and for-hire vehicles in New York city; costs and savings associated with the purchase and use of such vehicles; the estimated air quality benefits associated with the use of such vehicles; and any available governmental and manufacturer incentives for the purchase of such vehicles; and (ii) for available accessible vehicle models: the fact that such vehicles can be used to serve specific clients that non-accessible vehicles cannot serve; costs and savings associated with the purchase of such vehicles; and any available governmental and manufacturer incentives for the purchase of such vehicles. Such information shall be posted on the commission's website and shall be provided to owners of taxicabs and for-hire vehicles upon issuance or renewal of a license in accordance with section 19-504 of this chapter; by sending such information directly to such owners with other commission documents and notices; during informational workshops open to all commission licensees; or in any other manner deemed appropriate by the commission.
c. The commission shall implement the plan developed and approved pursuant to
subdivision b of this section.
d. The commission shall conduct or participate in at least one informational workshop regarding clean air and accessible vehicles in each of the two calendar years following the development and approval of the plan pursuant to subdivision b of this section.
e. The commission shall in every annual report submitted to the city council pursuant to section twenty three hundred two of the New York city charter, include the following information: (i) the implementation status of the measures included in the plan developed and approved pursuant to this section; (ii) the numbers of clean air and accessible vehicles in New York city, disaggregated by vehicle model, and how such numbers compare to those of the previous year and with the goals set forth in such plan; and (iii) to the extent practicable, the estimated air quality benefits and fuel savings associated with the use of each clean air vehicle model in operation as a taxicab or for-hire vehicle in New York city and the aggregate air quality benefits and fuel savings associated with the use of all such vehicles.
f. The commission shall establish a web page or pages or modify its existing website to make available information regarding clean air and accessible vehicles, which shall include, but not be limited to, the information provided pursuant to paragraph three of subdivision b of this section and the numbers of clean air and accessible vehicles in New York city, disaggregated by vehicle model, which shall be updated, at a minimum, every four months.
g. The commission shall annually review the plan required to be implemented pursuant to subdivision c of this section to determine, among other things, whether such plan has helped to increase the number of clean air and accessible vehicles and whether scheduled milestones and goals included in such plan have been met. The commission shall revise such plan as necessary to accomplish such goals.
§ 3. This local law shall take effect immediately.
DD/PH
LS # 77,78
11/28/06 11:08 p.m.