The Taxicab License Task Force, which is comprised of several East Lansing
department heads, Evans and Deputy City Manager George Lahanas, aims to create a
solution to the congestion on Albert Avenue before its expiration.

One of the ideas proposed by the task force is to allow cabs to park along M.A.C. Avenue to wait for fares between 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., where they currently are not allowed. Moving the stands to M.A.C. Avenue would remove all the stands on Albert Avenue, where they typically park.

Konrad Hittner, vice chair for the East Lansing Planning Commission, said the proposal to move the cabs would reduce the congestion on Albert Avenue and would provide more spaces for cabs to park.

“Is it going to work? We certainly hope so,” Hittner said. “Does that mean all the desires of the licensees will be met? I’m not sure. I don’t know that there was necessarily unanimity among the (cab companies).”

Co-owner of DD’s Downtown Taxi Kevin Stinson said the city’s proposed solutions might not be the best answer to the problem of congestion in the downtown area and the new area would not be close enough to bars for students and residents to notice the cabs.

“It’s going to take a while for people to notice that there are cabs over there,” Stinson said.

Students such as counseling graduate student Amy Costello said the new location is far away from the bars.

“I think it might hinder them because where it is now is close to the bars,” she said.

The item only is up for discussion at the work session. City Manager Ted Staton said the city will continue to have conversations with members of the community and city officials to create a solution to the problem.

“Having this continued dialogue with people who are affected by it … is going to increase the likelihood that we’re going to come up with a set of recommendations that a larger number of people can agree to,” he said.