This Week: Taxi Cab Permitting Modernized; Sidewalk Construction for Rutherglenn Dr; Big Bargain Book Sale.
Taxi Cab Permitting Modernized
Mayor Pro Tem Cohen and her colleagues approved proposed amendments to Houston’s Vehicles for Hire Ordinance to modernize how our city regulates taxi cab permits. The proposal represents a compromise package to balance changes requested by taxi companies and by independent cab drivers. The new changes include the elimination of the detrimental “shelving” of unused permits, a reduction in permit fees, and improvements for the disabilities community.
Annually, taxi companies must purchase a permit from the City of Houston to operate each cab in their fleet. In prior years, companies were able to “shelve” a permit, meaning that they would not use the permit to operate a cab, nor pay its annual fee, but they also would not return it to the City of Houston so that it could be sold to another company. Since the total number of permits issued is capped, this created a barrier for new, independent drivers to enter the market.
Going forward, taxi companies will no longer be allowed to “shelve” their unused permits – they must either pay the fee to operate the permit, or, relinquish the permit to the City of Houston. 891 permits have been surrendered to the City this year, which will be reissued to the market in 3 tranches over a period of 18 months, allowing the City to recoup nearly $1M in lost revenue.
As a compromise, permit fees have been reduced from $583.75 to $450, and wheelchair accessible permit fees have been reduced to $100.
The new ordinance also requires accessibility training for all new drivers and streamlines wheelchair-accessible vehicle inspections.
Council Members previously received a presentation on the proposal during a meeting of the Budget and Fiscal Affairs Committee (please note that some of the linked information has been updated during negotiations since the committee presentation in June).
Sidewalk Construction for Rutherglenn Dr
On Monday, September 9th, the Houston Public Works Department is scheduled to begin construction on Rutherglenn Dr in District C’s Maplewood South/North neighborhood, between Mullins Dr and Hillcroft Ave, to remove and replace the sidewalk along the north side of the street. The project is expected to be complete within approximately six weeks.
Big Bargain Book Sale
On Saturday, September 7th, the Houston Public Library Foundation will host the Big Bargain Book Sale at the Houston Public Library Warehouse (6510 W. Little York Rd, 77040). The sale will open to Friends of HPL Members only beginning at 9am and will be open to the general public from 10am – 4pm. All books will be priced under $5 per title plus tax, and all purchases support the department’s literacy programs throughout Houston.