Public Opinion Is Sought on Proposed New DC Taxi Look

What a taxi looks like matters, especially in the world’s major capitals. Washington,
as one of those capitals, is moving toward having a uniform design for the official
taxi fleet. This is a big change for a city in which the taxis come in as many different
colors and designs as there are parking restrictions. The mayor wants a standard design,
as do the DC Taxi Commission and the City Council, and the change is mandated by a
new law, the Taxicab Modernization Act. The process is ongoing, and no decision will
be made until next year, but the public has been invited to speak up about the design.
Make yourself heard on Twitter at the hashtag #votedctaxi, and vote for your favorite
design online. 

While most of the designs are difficult to describe—Matchbox toy? Ambulance? Green
Hornet?—one does look like the classic British taxicab. The actual cars can be viewed
at the Verizon Center through January 7, at Union Station after that, and then the
annual Washington Auto Show at the Convention Center in February.

Also, we welcome your comments. Don’t be shy. What you say here matters just as much
(to us) as your vote.

Carol Ross Joynt