Natural Gas Taxi Program

Picture of taxi powered by compressed natural gas

From the Texas General Land Office and the New York City Department of Transportation.

A good example of Environomics - What's good for the environment is good for the economy.

Ingredients:

The Texas General Land Office, the New York City Department of Transportation, Ford Motor Company, and Brooklyn Union.

Utensils:

Cab drivers/fleet taxi owners
Natural gas provider
Automobile manufacturers
Environmental and health groups
State and local officials

Seasonings:

Leadership willing to organize, coordinate, and promote the use of natural gas taxis
Creation of incentives for taxi owners to retire gasoline fueled vehicles and replace them with cleaner burning natural gas taxis
Education and outreach to taxi drivers and the general public
Dedicated involvement of local fuel providers

Servings:

Over 250 dedicated natural gas taxis are now operating in New York City.

Instructions:

Determine available resources including potential federal congestion mitigation and air quality (CMAQ) funds.
Involve local fuel providers at the beginning of the process.
Include individual taxi owners as well as large fleet owners.
Involve all necessary local and state government officials including state energy officials, environmental agencies, transportation agencies, and taxi commissions.
Market the environmental benefits to the taxi-riding public.

Hints from the Chef:

Compared to gasoline or diesel vehicles, those powered by natural gas emit 80 percent fewer ozone precursors and over 95 percent fewer particulates. In addition to being cleaner, compressed natural gas is also 30 to 40 percent cheaper than gasoline or diesel on a same mileage basis.

Natural Gas Taxi Program

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