MAYOR GAVIN NEWSOM SIGNS ALTERNATIVE-FUEL TAXI LEGISLATION
California Political Desk
March 07, 2008
San Francisco, CA – Mayor Gavin Newsom has signed legislation that will enable the purchase of more alternative-fuel taxi cabs for use on San Francisco streets. The legislation will help the City meet its commitment to reducing green house gas emissions with a higher gate fee, which will allow taxi cab companies to purchase new alternative fuel vehicles and supply them to drivers. Taxi drivers also benefit with lower gas costs
associated with more efficient vehicles that get better gas mileage, or use less expensive alternative fuels.
"Transportation accounts for over half of San Francisco´s greenhouse gas emissions, and it is imperative that we look to this sector for commensurate emissions reductions," said Mayor Newsom. "The legislation I am signing today complements the pledge I made in 2006 for an all-green taxi fleet and provides a mandate for cab companies to convert their vehicles."
Mayor Newsom´s 2006 State of the City Address challenged the Taxi Commission to create a 100% "green" taxi fleet. Approximately 15% of today´s fleet is either Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) or hybrid vehicles. This legislation is expected to increase that percentage to 100% by 2011.
Last week, the Board of Supervisors passed legislation codifying the Taxi Commission´s policy and added a gate increase of $7.50 per vehicle. Specifically, the legislation amends the San Francisco Police code by raising the taxicab gate cap to $96.50 and ratifies gate fees previously charged up to $91.50 per shift for the period of January 1, 2003 to October
27 2006; to authorize a $7.50 surcharge on the gate cap for low emission vehicles; and to require taxi companies to reduce average per vehicle greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent by 2012.
"This legislation came about because the status quo gate cap cannot continue," said Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier. "I´m pleased we found a way to green the taxi cab industry without bankrupting the companies and without doing so on the backs of cab drivers."
The 2007 Taxi Emissions Resolution required that the San Francisco taxi industry reduce its total Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions by 50% from current levels and 20% from 1990 levels by 2011. Under the resolution, the San Francisco Taxi Commission committed to work to achieve zero net carbon emissions by offsetting the total amount of GHG produced by the San
Francisco taxi fleet with an equal amount of renewable energy or energy efficiency by 2015, and by 2020 will work to achieve zero gross GHG emissions by permitting only zero emission vehicles. Additionally, the Resolution urged the Board of Supervisors to enact legislation to raise the per-shift gate fee to subsidize the purchase of high-efficiency vehicles.
associated with more efficient vehicles that get better gas mileage, or use less expensive alternative fuels.
"Transportation accounts for over half of San Francisco´s greenhouse gas emissions, and it is imperative that we look to this sector for commensurate emissions reductions," said Mayor Newsom. "The legislation I am signing today complements the pledge I made in 2006 for an all-green taxi fleet and provides a mandate for cab companies to convert their vehicles."
Mayor Newsom´s 2006 State of the City Address challenged the Taxi Commission to create a 100% "green" taxi fleet. Approximately 15% of today´s fleet is either Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) or hybrid vehicles. This legislation is expected to increase that percentage to 100% by 2011.
Last week, the Board of Supervisors passed legislation codifying the Taxi Commission´s policy and added a gate increase of $7.50 per vehicle. Specifically, the legislation amends the San Francisco Police code by raising the taxicab gate cap to $96.50 and ratifies gate fees previously charged up to $91.50 per shift for the period of January 1, 2003 to October
27 2006; to authorize a $7.50 surcharge on the gate cap for low emission vehicles; and to require taxi companies to reduce average per vehicle greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent by 2012.
"This legislation came about because the status quo gate cap cannot continue," said Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier. "I´m pleased we found a way to green the taxi cab industry without bankrupting the companies and without doing so on the backs of cab drivers."
The 2007 Taxi Emissions Resolution required that the San Francisco taxi industry reduce its total Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions by 50% from current levels and 20% from 1990 levels by 2011. Under the resolution, the San Francisco Taxi Commission committed to work to achieve zero net carbon emissions by offsetting the total amount of GHG produced by the San
Francisco taxi fleet with an equal amount of renewable energy or energy efficiency by 2015, and by 2020 will work to achieve zero gross GHG emissions by permitting only zero emission vehicles. Additionally, the Resolution urged the Board of Supervisors to enact legislation to raise the per-shift gate fee to subsidize the purchase of high-efficiency vehicles.
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