Yesterday the city announced that the Taxi of Tomorrow will be a bulky box from Nissan or, as one commenter put it, "more like the minivan of yesterday." Even before the announcement was made, fans of the design from Turkish automaker Karsan, the popular favorite, were grumbling (Bloomberg even reportedly had trouble showing enthusiasm for the Nissan offering at yesterday's announcement, acknowledging it looked like a soccer mom's cab). In response to the decision, not only did Marty Markowitz and Bill de Blasio ask Comptroller John Liu to investigate the whole process but assemblyman Micah Z. Kellner is calling on the Justice Department to see if the new vehicle violates the Americans With Disabilities Act. more ›

The Taxis of Tomorrow will be made by Nissan, the TLC is expected to announce today. Despite strong support from politicians, the public and the disabled, the popular design from Turkish carmaker Karsan is being scrapped in favor of the Nissan design, which is a variation of the Japanese automaker's NV200 minivan design. But even that might not happen! Before the decision has even been made official Public Advocate Bill de Blasio and Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz are calling the whole process into question. more ›

In a press conference this afternoon, Mayor Bloomberg announced that Ford is joining Nissan and Turkish manufacturers Karsan as the three finalists in designing the "Taxi of Tomorrow," which will be "the next New York City taxicab (subject to constant improvements and enhancements) for the next ten years." Bloomberg said, "While the City has long set the standards for our taxis - including working to make our vehicles more fuel efficient - the City has never before worked with the auto industry to design one taxicab specifically for New York City, until now. We want New Yorkers to take part in this process and tell us the features they want to see in the Taxi of Tomorrow." more ›