2. Mission
GTC NOLA’s mission is to provide
safe, comfortable, courteous,
affordable and ecologically-
responsible transportation that
reduces the environmental impact
of automobility while making New
Orleans a more appealing place to
live, visit and do business.
3. Vision
To become one of New Orleans’
most visible and successful green
businesses – one that will drive
change in the transportation
industry and beyond.
4. Background
The New Orleans Strategic Hospitality
Taskforce in January identified
improved taxi service among its top
priorities. The New Orleans
Metropolitan Convention and Visitors
Bureau has cited the city’s
substandard taxi service as the No. 1
complaint from visiting tourists.
Despite New Orleans’ status as a first-
class tourist and convention
destination and the tremendous role
the hospitality sector plays in the
city’s economic vitality, the Crescent
City falls behind many others in this
one attribute that is a key
component of helping to shape a
visitor’s experience.
Unlike most major cities,
New Orleans has no hybrid or
alternative-fuel taxis.
5. The majority of New Orleans taxis
are old and poorly maintained.
Many taxis do not provide for credit card payment. The average vehicle
that makes up the city taxi fleet is 11.4 years old, though there are
taxis in service that are soon to cross the 30-year mark. With no age
restrictions in place, it is possible New Orleans has become a dumping
ground for vehicles no longer allowed to function as taxis in cities with
more stringent regulations. Vehicles operated in other cities forced into
retirement after reaching age or mileage limits can operate without any
problem in New Orleans.
Many cities require cabs to be retired from service after a set
number of years. New Orleans does not impose any age
restrictions on its taxis.
Driver safety is another major consideration.
Passengers aren’t the only ones affected by this city’s poorly-equipped
taxis. The lack of taxi driver safety measures is starkly – and tragically –
apparent in the three taxicab driver murders the city has witnessed in the
past seven months.
6. There is a growing push
nationally for improved fuel
economy and reduced
emissions from taxis,
historically among the top
contributors to city air
pollution levels. This change is
reflected in calls for new
New York City cab driver Gerard Cherizol says gas costs $25 a day less in his Ford emissions standards and
Escape hybrid taxi.
special allowances for cabs
run on hybrid gasoline-electric
technology and other
alternative fuel sources. As a
result, cities across the
Cab driv ers like the increased country now boast green cab
earnings that come with driv ing a companies. Even Charleston,
green taxi. The hybrid taxi driv er South Carolina, population
can earn an additional $125 per
week in fuel sav ings.
107,000, has its own hybrid-
based taxi service. Cities are
encouraging the movement
toward greener ground
The Ford Crown Victoria, long the
standard used in taxi fleets, gets an transportation options
average 16 miles per gallon in the through such measures as
city, as opposed to the Toyota Prius grants offered taxi drivers to
which achieves 51 miles per gallon. hasten the switch to cleaner-
burning vehicles, head-of-the-
line airport privileges for
alternative-fuel cabs and
regulations that outline
specific pollution-reduction
targets.
7. Green is the future
Current events should
be incentive enough
for this city to adapt
to national and global
trends favoring
environmental
stewardship. Shifts in
the traveler’s
sensibility will require
that we keep pace to
remain competitive.
Informed travelers
increasingly are
demanding
accommodations that
are ecologically
sensitive and are
taking into account
such factors as the
carbon footprint of
vacation plans. Event
planners are
considering
environmental
sustainability efforts in
evaluating prospective
cities for their
suitability to host
gatherings large and
small.
Stephen Perry, president and CEO of the NOMCVB,
says one of the most frequent questions he fields from
convention planners determining whether they want
to come to the city is what type of green initiatives
are in place.
Source: New Orleans CityBusiness, August 4, 2010
8. Adding eco-oriented transportation would benefit the tourism
industry, helping to attract both conventioneers and the casual
tourist alike. The burgeoning eco-consciousness spreading across
all segments of American society is already firmly rooted among
the nation’s younger members, a travel constituency the New
Orleans Strategic Hospitality Taskforce has identified as especially
at risk. Adding to this city’s ecologically-friendly amenities can
also help to attract and retain the young, educated, idealistic and
highly-mobile set, an important new residential base for New
Orleans since Hurricane Katrina and a group keenly aware of the
transportation modes available in a given city.
Eco-conscious travelers trying to
reduce their carbon footprint can
use Climate Passport kiosks at San
Francisco International Airport to
calculate the carbon emissions of
their flight and buy certified carbon
offsets.
10. Our Solutions
GTC NOLA LLC is a locally-owned, sustainable
transportation firm that will revolutionize ground
transportation in New Orleans
Green Taxi NOLA will introduce the city’s first fleet of energy-efficient cabs.
The fleet will consist entirely of new vehicles -- primarily Toyota Prius
hybrids and gas-sipping Ford Transit Connect taxis -- equipped with all of
the latest technology available to the industry. Most importantly, each cab
will be driven by the most professional drivers available.
New York City Ford Transit Connect taxi San Francisco Toyota Prius taxi
We plan to simultaneously launch New Orleans’ first car share program,
NOLA Car Share. Car shares allow people who don’t own a car to rent
one for as little as an hour. We consider such a program an ideal fit for
New Orleans, especially for residents living in the city’s denser,
walkable neighborhoods where a car may come in handy on occasion
but where car ownership can be an unnecessary hassle. Car shares
carry the added benefits of helping to reduce parking congestion and
encouraging alternative modes of transportation.
11. Green Taxi NOLA
Our fleet will average a minimum 35 miles per gallon.
Cabs will be equipped with GPS, cameras and emergency lights.
Alternative-fuel vehicles will insulate customers from gas price
increases, resulting in lower costs per ride as fuel prices rise.
Ambassadors* will undergo extensive training.
Credit card payment and Internet and smart phone booking will be
standard amenities.
*All drivers will be referred to as Ambassadors. They will be serving New Orleans and acting as ambassadors to this great city.
As of this year, 57 percent of San
Francisco’s taxi fleet is comprised of
alternative-fuel vehicles. These green taxis
have reduced gas consumption by 2.9
million gallons per year and lowered
greenhouse gas emissions by 35,000 tons
annually, according to the city.
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom stands next to a
hybrid taxi, praising progress in his city’s green taxi
program.
12. NOLA Car Share
Carsharing offers urban residents automobility without car
ownership. It allows members to use cars for as little as an hour
and appeals to those who may not need a car every day.
Car shares:
• Make it easier to live car-free in the city. One analysis suggests
each shared vehicle takes 9 to 13 personal vehicles off the road.
• Can eliminate car payments, insurance, gas and parking costs.
• Reduce parking congestion, increase public transportation
ridership and decrease air pollution levels in a city.
Philly Car Share reserved parking in downtown Philadelphia
Research suggests up to 29 percent of
North American car share participants
gave up a car when they joined.
Statistics courtesy Susan Shaheen, Ph.D.,UC Berkley
13. THINK GREEN
THINK CLEAN
THINK NOLA
GTC NOLA, LLC
Alan B. Fisher, Founder
771 S. Prieur St.
New Orleans, LA 70113
504.528.9200
gtcnola@me.com
For more than 25 years, GTC NOLA Founder and CEO Alan Fisher operated London Livery Ltd., the limousine company he founded in New
Orleans in 1980 and later expanded to Atlanta. Until the New Orleans fleet was flooded in Hurricane Katrina, London Livery was a premier
provider of upscale ground transportation in the South. It was the largest supplier of ground transportation to the 1996 Olympics and
served as the official provider to major events including the 1984 Louisiana World Exposition, the 1987 New Orleans papal visit and the
1988 Republican National Convention. Fisher is also an avid outdoorsman, conservation photographer and naturalist who has dedicated
significant time to the rescue, rehabilitation and release of threatened species in the tropical forests of Central and South America.
