» WHAT: 20 taxicab minivans with special backdoor ramps
» WHEN: 2-year pilot program with the first cabs hitting the streets in December, others rolling out in January
» HOW: $1.2 million in federal, D.C. and taxi company money
» WHO: Roughly 20 percent of the District’s 64,000 people with disabilities use wheelchairs.
People who use wheelchairs will be able to take taxicabs in the District as early as next month under a $1.2 million pilot program to expand access for people with disabilities in the city.
The program that uses a federal grant, plus more than $200,000 in District funds, will feature 20 doctored Toyota Sienna minivans with a special back door ramp leading inside the cab.
Other communities around the region already have such wheelchair-accessible cabs and National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board officials said Washington has been one of the last major cities nationwide without them.
For Bobby Coward, the taxis are long-sought. The Northeast D.C. resident said he rode his electric wheelchair for three miles in the rain Thursday morning to get to Metrorail because the elevator was out at his usual Benning Road station. And MetroAccess, Metro’s shared ride service for people with disabilities, requires reservations a day in advance. The new taxis provide comfort, flexibility and convenience.
“This will allow us better opportunities for work, socializing,” he said at a demonstration of the new taxis. “We need to show the mayor and residents there is demand for the service.”
Still the taxicabs might not be economically feasible solution for all involved.
“The downside is it’s more expensive,” said David Sharp of Gaithersburg, who uses a wheelchair. “I would take a cab every day if I could afford it. I live in a nursing home and my income is very minimal.”
For taxi drivers and cab companies, the service also is pricey.
“Let’s call it a public service,” said Yellow Cab’s general manager Roy Spooner, who has formed an offshoot company to run 10 of the cabs. “We see it as a product offering, but there is no financial benefit to us.”
Passengers in wheelchairs might be less attractive pickups as they take longer to get on board.
“If the trip cost more to provide, we need to figure out a way to make the incentive right for them,” said D.C. Councilwoman Muriel Bowser, D-Ward 4.
