What’s next? “T Driver,” starring Robert De Niro?
Not likely, even though the new logotype for medallion taxis, which is beginning to appear on New York streets, has eliminated the word “taxi” in favor of a bold yellow T in a black circle; an enlarged version of the symbol first adopted five years ago.
David S. Yassky, the chairman of the city’s Taxi and Limousine Commission, sounded confident on Tuesday that the change wouldn’t confound anyone. “We have no doubt that a yellow car with a roof light with a big T will be understood as a New York City taxicab,” he said. “Even the greenest of greenhorns will know that it’s a taxicab.”
The streamlined design also eliminates the fare panel on the passenger door, which Mr. Yassky said was a cluttered vestige of earlier days. (It is unclear how many passengers, while opening that door, ever had the opportunity to pause and fully absorb the information: “$3.00 initial fare + $0.40 per 1/5 mile & minute stopped or slow, $1.00 Monday-Friday, 4 – 8 p.m., $0.50 nights, 8 p.m. – 6 a.m. $45 flat fare between Manhattan & JFK.”)
All that information can be placed more usefully on the video screen inside the cab, Mr. Yassky said. What the prospective passenger needs to know from the outside is that the fare is metered — in other words, make sure the meter is on once you climb in, unless you’re going to Kennedy International Airport, in which case it would be a flat fare.
The new logo emerged from work being done on the “Taxi of Tomorrow” Nissan prototype with the firm Smart Design, which was (somewhat) responsible for the current logo.
Specifications for the new pared-down design call for eliminating the trailing stream of checkerboard shapes that were intended as a reference to the celebrated Checker cab of yesteryear. In this, Mr. Yassky confessed ambivalence.
“Call us old-timers, but I liked the historical reference,” he said. “However, the design professionals felt unanimously that the clutter didn’t justify whatever meaning was in there.” (Not to worry, Mr. Yassky. City Room spotted six cabs with new decals in the space of a half-hour on Tuesday. Two still had checkerboards.)
The new design is a vindication of the work done five years ago by Davin Stowell and his colleagues at Smart Design. They proposed a large T, unmodified by “axi.” At the time, Mr. Stowell said: “Everybody knows what it is. You don’t need the words.”
But officials grew apprehensive when they realized that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority intended eventually to run a T train on Second Avenue. Mr. Stowell was overruled. (For the record, the T train will have a teal color scheme.)
Today, Mr. Yassky said, a T in a circle is widely understood to mean taxi.
“Nobody will confuse a yellow car with a 75-foot-long train car that runs underground,” he said. “And we like the echo that ties taxis to the rest of the transportation system.”
By DAVID W. DUNLAP
We’re OK with the big T as taxi, but the T and L partitions questionable! Still many cabs have it, and is dangerous! Taxi security camera in cabs just us important than keeping those partitions open to hear our passengers. After all, how many cab drivers are driving with closed partitions? Everyone is paying with credit cards. T Taxi, taxi, unpartitioned taxi means cleaner and civilized, well as safer and honestly better TIPS!
Get rid of the partition. The camera is a more effective deterrent.
Here is what I think: The now sidelined and never to be “Borough” taxi had the same “T”. The only difference between the two was in tiny letters. This would have confused people into thinking that both were available anywhere they were seen. Question: Was this intentional? I think it may have been. What about you?
Here are some places where the two can be compared
http://www.doobybrain.com/2012/04/29/nyc-boro-taxis-to-become-apple-green/
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/22/taxis-lose-their-axi/
http://forum.exotics4life.com/showthread.php?4340-New-Green-Taxi-for-NYC-Boroughs
Meter Peter – Cameras might be a better deterrent… but it cost a hell of a lot more. Fleet drivers and Fleets dont want to PAY FOR it… and I believe TLC Mandates Fleets HAVE Partitions….
Hello yassky, here it is again, you make every effort for the passenger, what about taxi drivers? why do you approve meter with a seperate total to confuse passenger and decrease cabbie income at the same time. I am sure many of the cabbie had the experience. for example, the fare show 8.50 and surchage plus MTA is 1.50, the passenger give the cabbie $10 and meant $1.50 tip. but the total is actually $10. the cabbie will loose out the !.50 tip. especially european passenger thinks that tip is included. Is this what you told the public that you like to see cabbie can make a little extra income? you LAMO and look like a joke by saying this to the public. why can’t the meter show only one total which include MTA and surcharge and break down on the receipt. you have all the details outside the door and on screen. what is your excuse this time.
A message to David Yasseky – Idle minds are the devil’s workshop. Quit spending all that cash redesigning the NYC taxi industry over and over. Does NYC have a $1.5 Billion shortfall? Shut down your devil’s workshop. Soon, you will require taxi drivers to wear uniforms imitating UPS drivers, what rationale will your idle mind come up with then? Take the AXI out of TAXI — tourism is a big taxi customer, but international tourists will have to understand, that taxi is a taboo word because it is being phased out in NYC.
Hopefully, some day Yasseky will arrive at headquarters to go in his office, and there will be a big O painted on a plain wall where an office used to be.
P.S. tell Bootberger that bicycle fatalities are up in the big apple, but these bicycles sure do look good, don’t they? Pretty is as pretty does.
You know when Yasseky releases these long, convoluted x-bombs, it makes it look like he is earning that $200,000 plus salary every year that Bootberger gave him. I bet Yasseky could earn $1 million in one year if he built a funeral pyre and put every cabbie on it and got rid of them once and for all.
By redesigning the outside and taking off AXI and taking off the rates, Yasseky cements the Passenger Information Monitor into the NYC cab, producing bezillions in advertising revenues. Idle minds, but not idel when it comes to generating bezillions for the taxi moguls.
Youre correct Tony Fox it is mandated. But the expense is worth it when you compare the injuries and death in one case I know of. A few years ago a woman was killed when her head hit the partition on E 42 St at a slow speed accident. The cab jumped the curb and hit a building. A passenger (plastic surgeon) told me half the facial injuries in his waiting room were caused by the partition. The cost is not prohibitive and not that much more than a partition. Disappointed is right too about the two totals. Happens to me all the time. I wish Yassky would read this.
To Yasseky, Idle Minds are the devil’s workshop — just in case international tourists and out- of-state tourists can’t figure out what the big T stripped of the AXI means, they could have relied on the World-wide signal that the vehicle is a CAB — and that is the checks on it. A strip of checks somewhere. But Yasseky obliterated that chance, removing the years’ old checks. Truly the devil’s workshop at work.
Yasskey’s handiwork is a constant onslaught of destruction to cabbies, perhaps to give them a nervous breakdown. Any cabbies have long-term disability insurance? Next the cabstands gone. And any semblance of a taxi or cabbie to be eradicated.
Cabbies, wake up. wake up. Tell the sky boys to SCRAM.
When the faces shortfall, why taxi industry has to meet that shortfall. Why not all the wealthy people who are living in this city???
The single large T has existed on Moscow taxi cabs 30 years ago. Some reference to original design is desirable.
The Logo is very much like the one on the Borough Taxis that are now on “Life Support”. I think this was intentional. Designed so the public would be confused.
” mr. T ” sounds more American.
Bus stop waiting stand has a similar flaw. Modern n sleek design made of glass walls, roof n steel bench. But when it rains, passengers have to sit n wait holding umbrella because of the gap between roof n walls. Smart(?) designers missed out very important function of shelter: keeping people out of rain n wind. Why not just benches? Why bother with roof n walls?
I like the look of new design: minimal, decluttered, modern look. Yet very important function is missing in this international city. Tourist n out of towners r not famiar with cab price. Sometimes foreigners don’t know value of US coins. Clutter or fine prints should give some idea of price, at least flat fare of JFK before get in the cab. Do u just shop what u like not knowing price as long as it is informed in check out screen? I like to know the price before decision. Also I have to make sure I have enough for flat fare.
I’ve seen NJ yellow cabs with similar sign with T in black circle + AXI. Very look alike. Since NYC got smaller next to T, some NY yellow may have easier pick ups in NJ? Flexible yellow magnets can cover NYC to disappear. In NYC, T for big yellow NYC Turtle.
Meter Peter, the meter issue has been corrected when meter shop make adjustment for the new rate. the one total will show about 5-6 seconds. it is better than before but not good enough, it should stay on till the passenger is paid because slow paying passenger will see 2 totals at a second glance and create problems. also, the new door decals will also creat unnecssary agrument with passenger who does not know the increase from $45 to $52 because it only read flat rate to JFK, no price. this will cost drivers time. another draw back is the credit card receipt does not print automatically, it causes more time than saving paper. who ever came up with this idea is half brain dead,
Well said, TURTLE that’s the right words for slow NYC taxi, and when the cabby attempts to move faster, then means Tickets and Trouble.
I agree, designed to confuse the public. The objective, the one and only objective of the king pins and regulator bunch, is to somehow get 18,000 more magic money-making machines in more vehicles than the 13,500 NYC yellows. Hey, maybe the hokey pokey IS what it’s all about!
There is one good thing about the design. JFK flat fare is well seen. This will keep the Hotel Doormen from lying that yellow taxis don’t go to JFK…..But they should have posted the rate. I think that now passengers will ask!
Some other names which came to mind:generation apps, I-phone , I-phone on the wall, am I smartest of them all!
Soon, every smart phone will have a taxi fare app, and the calculated taxi rate. T is easy money making concept. Next idea is uniform for cabbies
uniform for taxi drivers is same as you required to wear uniform to lease from U-Haul, Hertz , zip car and etc…what a joke, all you cabbie is a paying customer to the garage and should be treated like any other car leasing company customer. don’t really know when is the garage become your boss…… sad
I’m very upset that you not only dropped the fare notice on the door, which helps people who do not live in NY to understand how the taxi fares work, but also dropped the awesome checker pattern off the rear of the car. I think that the checker pattern that was added a few years ago was the single best design element and I am upset it is being painted over with just yellow now. The NYC Taxi just looks like every other taxi and airport taxi as a result of this one awful change.
The intrigue deepens, suddenly one taxi magazine has announced that Yasseky has announced that New York City taxi garages may pay all the processing fee for card payments in the taxi. But U knew that could not happen, cabbies do not get from the rental garage, they give. Yep, this magazine said that Yasseky says in return for garages absorbing all the credit card processing fees, there will be a $10 a shift extra rental fee. LOL ha ha ha ha – and the magazine also quotes that NYC cabbies pay $93 on average for a shift. This does not sound real to me? What the garages are doing is trying to keep away the sky boys – and that does help cabbies, not to pay to sell their customer base, but keep it, and tell the sky boys to scram. But U can be sure, that the rental garages intend to do just that, let NYC cabbies pay to give their customer base to the rental garages, through computer ‘ dispatch .” NYC king pins are moving heaven and earth, to get dispatch rights, then cabbies might as well not show up to work — it will be all over.
Exactly, Disappointed, that’s been my puzzlement. Can u imagine zip car customer gets a key n being told to go a carwash or asks for windshield washer fluid or air for tire, or looks for boxes to make up low seat? Garage cab out of car wash is not clean because only outside but inside shared driver side n passenger side r never been cleaned n vacuumed by responsible party = car ower = lessor. Embarrassig to say but it’s true that back seats of garage cars has more germs than public toilet seats. I wish consumer group finds about it. In short, renting drivers r not getting their money worth.
they remove -axi in the logo because it has big impact on passenger mind.when he ,she sees taxi ,what goes into his/her mind is this, durty service:taxi driver is like a puplic school teacher means the service is less expensive.the nyc taxi is more safe and expensive for business owners and more headack than limo services .people dont respect taxi.and now when they see only letter -T they backup and ask thier mind ,this must be different from taxi oh they didnt change it for no reason.so people at anytime they take nycT,they must get ready to pay more.and respect drivers..
tel me wich one would you go with,:steeve jobs school or city school.?
according to tlc rules and medallion policys ,the old taxi dont respect the rules of a city taxi in ny,when the driver has to be able to buy a medallion if he she worked for ten years.but the came up with this new name to foul everybody and avoid a lawsuit .the system now is hacked and private
It’s probably partly for tourists who can’t read English. Same reason they changed the crosswalks from ‘walk’ and don’t walk.’ I’m guessing. It looks kind of nice actually.