HELEN ROSENTHAL

Council Member, District 6

Manhattan

DISTRICT OFFICE
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TH
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NEW YORK, NY 10024
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CITY HALL OFFICE
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www.council.nyc.gov


THE COUNCIL
OF
THE CITY OF NEW YORK


CHAIR
Contracts

COMMITTEES
Finance
Housing and Buildings
Cultural Affairs
Community Development

October 30, 2014
Meera Joshi
Commissioner
Taxi and Limousine Commission
33 Beaver Street
New York, NY 10004


Dear Commissioner Joshi,

Thank you for hosting the informative and comprehensive hearings on the Taxi & Limousine
Commission's (TLC) plans to incorporate Local Laws 27 (Coopers Law), 28, and 30 of the
Vision Zero initiative into the TLC rules. We appreciate the work that you and your staff are
doing to make these laws a reality on our streets.
However, in light of comments made by some TLC commissioners during the hearing, we write
today to clarify some key points:
Several commissioners referred to accidents. This term contradicts a core principle of Vision
Zero: death and injury on our citys streets is preventable and unacceptable. Therefore the term,
crash is more appropriate. As stated in the 2014 Vision Zero Action Plan:
The City of New York must no longer regard traffic crashes as
mere accidents, but rather as preventable incidents that can be
systematically addressed. No level of fatality on City streets is
inevitable or acceptable. (Vision Zero Action Plan of 2014, page 7)
Rather than accepting traffic fatalities as accidents, Vision Zero
allows usgovernment agencies, industry groups, key
transportation stakeholders and the public aliketo understand
traffic crashes as the result of a series of actions that can be
changed or prevented through enforcement, education and design.
(Vision Zero Action Plan of 2014, page 9)
One commissioner expressed hesitation, citing the hypothetical scenario of a historically safe
driver who one day picks up the phone and kills someone. As every Commissioner must be
aware, TLC rules prohibit use of cell phones or any communication device, hands-free or
otherwise, while operating a cab. A historically safe driver who kills someone is no longer a
safe driver.
Several commissioners expressed concern that these rules would imperil the ability of drivers to
earn their livelihood. We counter that it is the drivers dangerous behavior, not the rules that
govern them, that have imperiled his or her ability to earn a livelihood. Public safety must be the
TLCs highest priority, above protecting the economic interests of unsafe drivers or any other
stakeholder that would put the public at risk.
Furthermore, these rules apply only in the case of critical injury or fatal crashes. Fewer than one
percent of drivers are involved in crashes this serious; more than 99 percent of drivers will not be
affected by these laws.
We are sympathetic to the challenging work environments and economic situations that many
drivers confront as they seek economic opportunity for themselves and their families. We also
appreciate that you are aware of the comments that were made and that you are working to
sensitize the other commissioners. It is our hope that the other commissioners will be willing to
consider these linguistic and cultural shifts as they move forward with enforcement of these
important rules. We look forward to our continued work together toward our common Vision
Zero goal of preventing death and injury on our citys streets.
Thank you.

Sincerely,


Council Member Helen Rosenthal


Council Member Antonio Reynoso

Enclosure:
cc: Mayor Bill de Blasio