The Future Of NYC Taxis: three Brutal Finalists For The Job Of “City Icon”

New York City not too long ago announced the 3 final taxi types duking it out for a winner-take-all cage match to receive an unique contract for the following decade’s worth of income and support in the city. At the moment served by Ford, the ironically named TLC (Taxi and Limousine Commission) opened up proposals in 2009 for unique rights to the “taxi of tomorrow.” Is there this kind of a issue?

When you imagine about it, taxis transcend pleather seats and those mystery serums left from the preceding night’s backseat shenanigans. Phil Patton of the Layout Believe in for Public Space notes, they’re as iconic as it gets:

The taxicab is a symbol of New York to millions of visitors. It marks arrival and departure—the present day equivalent of a city gate. It is the room of entrance to the city. It frames the visitor’s 1st glances. As substantially as by Big Ben, London is symbolized by its red double-decker busses, its red phone booths —and its black taxis. Just as considerably as it is represented by its piers or subways, by the same token, New York is symbolized by its taxis.

Well put, Phil. Nonetheless, pics of the three finalists picked scream much more Three Stooges to me than iconic figures gracefully navigating the New York streets. To sum it all up for you, there is the Jetson’s grocery getter, the euro, and the suburban nanny. None of which have any NYC iconic-ness about them.

Here’s my suggestion: Throwbacks — and not any of this weak-energy, present day-hunting versions of the classic autos. I’m talking about acquiring the “taxi of tomorrow’s” efficient engine, conveniences, headroom, and no matter what else is deemed suitable for this task (cup holders, I suppose?), and then wrap that neat minor package deal with a bucket-load of iconic.

My stage can be uncovered in Veradero, Cuba, in the image over.  Tell me that 14,000 of these beauties working the streets of NYC wouldn’t make a statement.

[Photo by misw/Flickr]