New Cab-Sharing Program in NYC Helps to Reduce Emissions and Encourage Carpooling

According to a post at the great urban design blog Inhabitat, the NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission just announced they are launching a taxi sharing program where riders will be able to pay a flat fare to be picked up and dropped off at designated taxi share stops. PlaNYC used GIS  data from individual cabs to determine the most heavily-trafficked cab routes in Manhattan. The pilot project is designed to reduce carbon emissions from single-passenger cab trips. There is a great incentive for cab riders to save money with this service because of the flat rate of $3-4 along the proposed cab-share routes. Cab drivers are more likely to drive along these cab-share routes because they stand to earn more money from multiple passengers than single riders. The routes are as follows:

 W. 57th St. and Eighth Ave. with drop-offs allowed on Park Ave. between 57th St. until 42nd St.; W.72nd St. and Columbus Ave. with drop-offs on Park Ave. from 72nd St. to 42nd St.; E. 72nd St. and Third Ave. with drop-offs on Park Avenue from 72nd St. to 42nd St. To start, all stops will be active during morning rush hour only and pick-up sites will be marked with signs.  

Now here's the ultimate test of social capital: Do New Yorkers trust each other enough to regularly share a cab with a complete stranger?