The document provides recommendations from the Accessible Taxi Subcommittee to the City of Atlanta. It recommends: 1) Increasing all fees, fines, and revenues from the taxi ordinance fourfold to cover the $1.1 million shortfall between revenues and costs of regulating taxis. It proposes "grandfathering" existing charges for two years to prevent companies from passing increased costs solely to drivers. 2) Establishing a $600,000 revolving loan fund from selling unused permits to provide up to $12,000 loans per accessible taxi to help owners purchase accessible vehicles. Loan repayments would go back into the fund. 3) Creating a permanent Accessible Taxi Advisory Committee including disability representatives

1. SummaryofRecommendations
Accessible Taxi Subcommittee
April 18,2013
1. Background andRecommendationstoEnsureGoodOversight:
a. AtlantaPoliceDepartmentVFH Sectionissupportedthroughfeesimposedonvehiclesfor hire.
Feerevenuegenerates approximately$300,000inthemostrecentyear.Actualcostsfor the VFH
Sectiontoregulatevehiclesfor hireareabout$1,400,000forthatyear, accordingtothe City.
Thisrepresentsashortfall ofrevenuesunderexpendituresof some$1,100,000.
This means thatfeesimposed onvehiclesfor hire arenotcoveringthe costof
doingtheVFHenforcement functionwithintheCity. Thus,Citytaxpayersanditscitizens
aresubsidizingthis functionof Atlantacitygovernmentthrough their property taxdollars.
TheCityshouldlevyfeesauthorizedtobeimposed intheTaxi Ordinanceinsuchan amountto
coverthecostsofperformingthis functionof Citygovernment,andnothavegeneral City taxpayers
subsidizingthis armof government–whichbenefitsmanynon-residents oravery small
portionofcityresidentswhorideinvehiclesforhire, whoshouldbear the burden of
payingforthis functionofCitygovernment.
To builda strongtaxicab/VFHindustry,toimpose stronger standardsonitsoperation, to
improveitsservice standardsand to ensure adequatepolicingof the industry,theAccessible Taxi
Subcommitteerecommendsthat:
Allfees,fines,orotherrevenue-producingcomponents oftheTaxicabOrdinance
shouldbeincreasedtoalevelwhich is four(4)timestheircurrentlevel, toensure that fees charged
aresufficient tocovertheoperatingcoststoregulatetheVFHoperationsandstaffingneeds
ofgovernment. Thislevelofincreasewillcoverthe
existingshortfallbetweenrevenuesraisedthroughthis functionofCity
governmentandthecostofitsbeingperformed.
[This recommendationaimsatraising revenuessufficient to go from$300,000to$1.4million,
aboutafourfoldincrease infunds raised.Ifdeemed politically necessary, feescouldbe
increasedforatwo yearperiod to gaugeitsimpact, with anadjustmentmadeaftersufficient
experience is
gained to determinethe level necessary tocoverVFHoperatingcosts.]
b.Whenfees,finesand otherrevenuesareincreased
tocovertheshortfalldescribedabove,properprotectionneedstobeprovided todriversorlesseesof
cabs fortaxicompanies whichwill
beinitiallychargedwithincreaseswhentheyareimplemented.Simplypassingonincreasedfeesthroug
hhigherleasingfeessolelytodrivers isnotwarranted.

2. Tofurtherthisend, theCityandtheordinancerevisions toincreasefeesandfines should
“grandfather” existingcharges imposedforincreased fees andfines topreventunjustenrichmentof
companiesattheexpenseof drivers. The “grandfather”provisionsshouldextend for atleasta
twoyear period, especiallyif an adjustment tofeesandfines levelsis deemed appropriateas
discussed insubsection(a)above.
Moreover, Taxi Companieswillbenefitfromenhancedservicestandards, newervehicles,and
other incentivesprovided inotherways in theOrdinancerevisions tojustify this
“grandfathering”of feescharged. Everyeffortshouldbe madeto ensurethatthereis no
“hiking”offees by companiesinadvanceofthe effective dateofthe Ordinancerevisions
inanticipationofthe increasedfees.
c. The Cityshouldencouragethe MARTA Boardtoconsiderimplementingprogramssimilarto
thosein manyareasof thecountrywherebytransit agenciesenterintocooperativepartnershipswith
privatetaxi companies tohelpprovideparatransit service withthe transit system. Existing
modelsexistinSanAntonio,DenverandChicago,withmany otherstolook tofor guidance.
These partnershipmodelshaveserved
toimprovecustomerservicetothedisabilitycommunity,savetax dollars,andfrequentlystrengthenthe
local taxi industrywheretheyareimplemented.
2. Providing a FundingSourcetohelpTaxi Owners getaccess tocapital toBuyAccessible Taxis:
a. A revolving loanprogramtoprovidecash totaxi cab ownersfor purchasing accessible
taxicabsshouldbeestablished.Itwouldbe capitalizedasdiscussed below.
b.The Cityof Atlanta wouldsell 10 of thecurrently 49 unsoldCPNCs remainingin its inventory
atopenly-advertised,public auction.
c. Therevenuesfromthis sale(totalvalue@$60,000estimated marketvalue/perCPNC =
$600,000)shouldbeused to establishaseparate“AccessibleTaxi RevolvingLoanFund”for
taxiowners todrawupontohelpthempurchaseaccessible
taxis.Todrawuponthefund,vehiclesmustmeetnationallyrecognized standards for
accessibletaxicabs, andwouldberequiredtobe inspectedbytheCityVFHSectiontoensurethat
funds loaned arebeingused
for properaccessiblevehicles.
d.Maximumloansof$10,000- $12,000/pervehicleshouldbe madeavailable fromthis Fundwith
adedicatedusefor theFundsolelyforenablingmoreaccessibletaxis tobeputin
service. This fundshall notbeused for anyother Cityof Atlantabudgetpurpose.
e. Proceedsfromrepaymentof loans shallgobackto thetrustfundandnotthe City’s General
Fund.

3. 3. ProvidinganOngoing AdvisoryFunctiontoAssess Progress onAccessible Taxi Availability:
a. The Cityshouldestablishona permanentbasisan“AccessibleTaxi AdvisoryCommittee” tothe
VFHSection,tobecomposedof disabilityrepresentatives, taxiowners,one
designatedMARTArepresentativeas designatedbytheGeneralManager/CEO,andVFHstaff
tomonitor progress towardmeetingthegoals (1)setforth
intheTaxiOrdinanceoftheCityofAtlanta as regards accessibletaxis,
and(2)anytaxipartneringactivitybetweentheCityandMARTA.
b.Thereshallbe nomorethannine(9) totalmembers oftheAdvisoryCommittee.
c. The chairofthe AdvisoryCommitteeshall
beadisabilityrepresentativewhoservesontheCommittee,andthecommitteeshall
atleastquarterlyandannuallyreportto theMayor andCityCouncilonitswork and
makerecommendationstotheMayor andCityCouncil
stemmingfromit.
4. Taxi OrdinanceLanguageRecommendations:
a. A fixednumberand percentageof the companytaxi fleetinAtlanta shall beaccessible.
b.Authorized lifeofaccessible taxisshall be 10years beforetheymustbetaken outof service,
thus givingan added2yearmaximumstreetlifeforthesevehicles.
c. Staged accessiblecab requirementsshall bestated intheOrdinanceas followsfortaxi
companieswith25cabsormoreintheir business:
- By2014, 10%of fleetor3cabs in service
- By2015, 20%of fleetor5cabs in service
- By2016, 30%of fleetor8cabs in service
- ByJanuary1,2017, if accessible requirementssetforthabovearenotmet,the companyshall
loseitsoperatingpermit.
d.Accessiblecabsmust meetrecognized national accessible standards, andbeinspectedbythe
Citypriortobeingputintoserviceand/or authorizedfor participationinthe loanprogram.
e. Driversmustpass acourse developed andapproved bya competentnationally-recognized
disabilityagencybeforebeingallowedtodriveaccessible vehicles.
f. Accessiblecabswould gotothefrontof thelineattheATLAirportandat hotelandsportingvenues.

4. g.Accessibletaxistands clearlymarkedas suchshallbeplaced throughouttheCity.
h.Whentherecommended annual licensefees(andpenalties)forallcabs areimposed ascalled forin
1(a) above,accessiblecabfeeandpenaltylevelswill bereducedto½thelevelestablishedinthe
Ordinance.
DRAFT
AccessTaxiSubcomm
JK/4-17-13