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Bloomberg's Five Boro Taxi Plan Nixed By Judge
By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Aug 18, 2012
Modified Aug 18, 2012
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By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Aug 18, 2012
Modified Aug 18, 2012
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More bad news for fans of alternative transportation this week—yesterday, a Manhattan judge put the kibosh on Mayor Bloomberg's Five Boro Taxi plan, ruling that the methods the Bloomberg administration used to get it passed were unconstitutional. In June, State Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron issued a temporary restraining order on the mayor's propose to issue medallions to livery cabs looking to pick up street hails in the outer boroughs, noting that the administration had improperly taken the plan directly to the State Legislature for approval after it failed to get through City Council.
Yesterday, Judge Engoron scrubbed the plan permanently for the same reasons, stating it violated the state Constitution's "home-rule" provisions since city legislature never voted on it. And the judge's ruling, which was spurred by a lawsuit filed by the Metropolitan Taxicab Board of Trade and prohibits the city from auctioning off 2,000 yellow taxi medallions, comes at a hefty cost—the city might lose about $1.46 billion of its annual expected budget as a result. "The economic ramifications are very real, and this special interest lawsuit has done a lot of damage to the city," Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer said in a court brief. "I don't think we should wait." (The city plans to appeal the ruling).
Like the much-anticipated and forever-delayed CitiBike Share Program, Bloomberg's street hail plan, which was vehemently contested by Public Advocate Bill de Blasio and current medallion holders, was slated to start this summer. Looks like we're all going to have to stick with those super reliable subway trains, after all!
Tagged
bill de blasio
five boro
judge engoron
livery
livery cabs
mayor bloomberg
street hails
taxis
Rebecca Fishbein
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