On this day in 1907, 100 years ago to be exact, the first motorized taxicab took fares in New York City. Chances are that Ferencz Ujlaki, a new immigrant the year before, probably never saw this first taxi or the other 65 that serviced the streets of New York City that year. But by 1923 (the year after he became a U.S. citizen) there were already 15,000 taxis serving New York City. I'm sure he was well aware of them by that time.A little more New York City taxi trivia for you on this historic date in taxicab history:
- At an early peak in 1931 there were 21,000 taxicabs serving New York City (according to Schaller Consulting).
- Today, there are approximately 32,000 taxicabs serving the Big Apple.
- The average number of miles that a New York City taxi travels in a 12-hour shift is 180. (Info thanks to World Almanac 2007 Daily Calendar.)
- New York City yellow taxis will be "going green" by the year 2012 - by that date the entire New York City taxi fleet will be made up of hybrid vehicles, reducing carbon emissions for the city.
Are you one of the millions of customers that has taken a NYC cab lately?
Hi, Lisa! I am new to blogging, so I am catching up on your blog entries. I just wanted to say that I love how you incorporate history and culture, such as this entry about taxicabs and your entry about the patron saint day, into your family history. Your entries have encouraged me to do this more often. I really enjoy your blog!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Jennnifer, for your kind words. I love finding and collecting the documents and records related to my family, but they certainly come so much more alive when I delve into the social history of their times. Thanks again for reading.
ReplyDeleteLisa