5 Facts You May Not Know About Yellow Cabs

Here are some fast facts to impress your friends the next time you decide to hail a taxi on the streets of nyc.

"New York City Taxi" by TMAB2003 is marked with CC BY-ND 2.0.

Why are taxi's in NYC Yellow?

The first taxis in the U.S. were actually red and green, despite their now-iconic yellow hue. But why yellow? In the early 1900’s John Hertz was in the throws of planning ways to unify his fleet of cabs in Chicago. He conducted a study in partnership with a local university to determine which color would be most noticeable from a distance. The answer was yellow, and the first Yellow Cab Company was born. In the 1960’s, it became legally required for all medallion taxis to be the same color.

Did you know that taxis operate no matter the circumstances?

Yellow cabs have always been there, helping New Yorkers get through blizzards, blackouts, hurricanes, you name it! Most recently, taxis played a critical role in safely delivering hospital, healthcare, and other essential workers to the aid of New Yorkers throughout the pandemic.

How much does a taxi driver drive each day?

A taxi cab driver drives an average of 180 miles per shift.

That’s almost the equivalent of driving to Baltimore, Maryland every single day.

Who is driving my taxi?

Did you know that over 90% of medallion cab drivers immigrated here from other countries?

NYC cabbies are a true reflection of our multicultural city, representing over 167 different countries. NYC's yellow cabs are a veritable melting pot on wheels!

Did you know the very first taxi fleet in NYC was actually electric?

In 1897, the first taxicab company – Samuel’s Electric Carriage and Wagon Company – opened in NYC with 12 electric hansom cabs. The fleet quickly grew to 62 cabs, was reformed into the Electric Vehicle Company, and just two years later had a fleet of around 100 taxicabs running in NYC. Following the company’s collapse in 1907, horse-drawn cabs became the primary means of transport, until Harry N. Allen – frustrated with the price of horse-drawn taxi travel – imported 65 gasoline-powered cars from France and started the New York Taxicab Company with the goal of a fixed price-per-mile charge to riders.

Sources: Purewow, NYTimes, Statisticbrain, Medium, Wikipedia