LEVERAGING TAXI AND FOR-HIRE VEHICLE NETWORKS TO IMPROVE TRANSPORTATION EQUITY FOR SENIORS

The New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) licenses and regulates taxis, for-hire vehicles (FHV), paratransit, and commuter vans in NYC. TLC engaged a team to explore how the taxi and FHV industry can equitably improve access to transportation for the city’s seniors and aging residents, who face a litany of well-documented barriers to meeting their transportation needs. The Capstone team conducted extensive research into how the city’s existing transportation infrastructure serves seniors and older residents, analyzed the demography and geography of NYC’s senior population, and identified gaps and barriers specific to older populations in the transportation network. Based on its research, the team created a set of programmatic recommendations to improve access and affordability alongside a set of outreach recommendations to improve senior access to taxis and FHV networks.