Cabs Will Switch to Meters, But the Question Now Is How

Logistical Challenges Ahead in Leaving Zone System

For months, the biggest issue regarding the future of D.C. taxis was whether to go with zones or meters. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty settled that one this month when he ordered a switch to meters as soon as possible. But as it turns out, the tough questions are only beginning.

What sort of meter is best, and what should its capabilities be? How will meters be supplied, calibrated and maintained? Are enough resources available to make such a mammoth and historic transition? And, perhaps of most interest, what rate structure will allow drivers to earn a living and riders to feel as if they are not being gouged?

Guess what: Nobody has a clue.

The next step in what is likely to be a time-consuming, complex and contentious remapping of the District's taxi system is figuring out everything else that accompanies the mayor's decision. According to Fenty's Oct. 17 executive order, the responsibility falls to D.C. Taxicab Commission Chairman Leon Swain Jr., a former D.C. police officer and Ward 8 community leader who took the reins of the commission in June. Swain, who has just a handful of taxi inspectors, a commission with three expired members and a small budget, has his work cut out for him.

"He's the man of the hour," commission member Tom Heinemann said about Swain, who declined to talk about the task ahead of him.

In deciding to switch to meters, Fenty (D) studied what he called "the best practices" of four U.S. cities: New York, Boston, Chicago and San Francisco.

But there is no place in the taxi universe quite like Washington. With its 23 zones, each with a flat fee, and seemingly haphazard boundaries, the current fare system has been an object of criticism for decades. Last fall, U.S. Sen. Carl M. Levin (D.-Mich.), tired of receiving complaints about local taxi service, attached a provision to D.C. legislation requiring mayoral action on meters. Fenty has said he had wanted to revamp the system anyway as part of his mission to polish the city's image.

Now, it's a matter of starting from scratch. Regulations must be rewritten for the District's estimated 7,000 cab drivers, and an infrastructure for installing and monitoring meters has to be devised. A spring starting date is anticipated, but there is much to be done in the meantime.

"All we have is a bare-boned decision that the District of Columbia is going to time and distance, period," said D.C. Council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1), who has oversight of the taxi commission. "That is a central decision, but it gives rise to many, many decisions about the details."

Graham, who said he has had two meetings with Fenty and Peter Nickles, the mayor's general counsel, said he thinks "a rule-making period" is needed. "We're just trying to figure out how you do all this. It's very unusual," he said.

Although taxi companies and drivers are expected to pay for meters, at an estimated cost of $300 to $500 apiece, additional funds for inspectors or other personnel would have to come from the city budget, with council approval.

Like many, Graham said that he expects fares to be "a huge issue" and that he "definitely" plans a public hearing on the matter.