A Brooklyn lawmaker has persuaded Mayor Bloomberg to make require the city’s smoke-belching taxi fleet to be fully replaced with fuel effieicnt, low-emission hybrids by 2012.
Before announcing this week that he would move forward with Councilman David Yassky’s proposal (D-Park Slope), Bloomberg had favored a plan that encouraged, but did not require, cab owners to convert.
Bloomberg was asked about his change of heart on Tuesday.
“Maybe David’s been persuasive and he convinced me that it’s a great idea,” the mayor said. “Nothing wrong with that.”
Earlier in the day, Bloomberg made the announcement on NBC’s “Today” show (inset) — and described Yassky (D–Brooklyn Heights) as the man “leading the environmental fight here in the city.”
In a later interview, Yassky seemed to blush at Hizzoner’s ardor.
“He’s so sweet,” said Yassky. “I think that’s fair to say [that I helped convince him]. This mayor is dead serious about cleaning up our environment and getting the city to do its share in fighting climate change.”
The plan, which still must be approved by the city’s Taxi and Limousine Commission, would require hacks to trade in their 13,000 Crown Victorias for hybrid vehicles by 2012.
The administration says that the hybrid switchover will be comparable to taking 32,000 cars off the street.
The initiative is part of Bloomberg’s much-heralded PlaNYC, released on Earth Day, which outlined 127 ideas for making the Big Apple green by 2030.
