The city's Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) celebrated a major milestone on Thursday as half of its active NYC taxis are now wheelchair accessible.
TLC Commissioner David Do made the announcement on June 5 at the agency’s inspection facility in Woodside, Queens. It follows a years-long lawsuit by disability advocates who demanded 50% of all taxi cabs — around 5,100 vehicles — to be wheelchair accessible.
“We made that today,” Do said. “It is the most accessible fleet in the entire country.”
The city agency has been pursuing its 50% goal for its active fleet for 10 years following a 2013 settlement agreement with disability advocates. Combined with its for-hire fleet, the agency now has 12,000 accessible vehicles.
“This achievement has been over a decade in the making, and a tremendo