NYC Green Taxis Hit a Red Light

A few weeks ago we posted about taxicabs across the country going green. Unfortunately, we'll have to put the brakes on one of the featured cities. Just last week, a federal judge blocked regulation that would require all New York City taxicabs to switch to lower emission vehicles.

Judge Paul A. Crotty granted an injunction on October 31, the day before the regulation would have gone into effect, putting a stop on a core component of Mayor Bloomberg's overall goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions for the city.  As part of the environmental plan, known as PlaNYC 2030, it called for all city taxis to switch to hybrids by 2012.

Led by the Metropolitan Taxicab Board of Trade, taxi operators cited past environmental acts claiming that fuel economy and vehicle emission standards fell under federal power.

"The sad irony here is the laws being relied on by the plaintiff, the Clean Air Act and the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, were designed to reduce air pollution and reduce our dependence on foreign oil - which is exactly what moving to fuel-efficient cabs will do," said Bloomberg in a written statement last Friday. He's said that he's considering an appeal to the ruling and working with the city to perhaps limit the number of years that less fuel-efficient vehicles can stay on the streets.

Photo: Triborough via the Intelligent Travel Flickr pool