Finding a wheelchair-accessible taxi in Washington, D.C. has long been a frustrating experience for many, despite efforts from the city to address the issue. For people who use wheelchairs, the scarcity of accessible transportation options is not only inconvenient but also feels unfair. This challenge has led to the launch of a $500,000 pilot program to improve the availability of wheelchair-accessible taxis in the city. But, as riders share their stories, many question whether this investment is truly making a difference.
Kelly Mack, a wheelchair user since she was 10, moved to D.C. with hopes that the city’s accessibility improvements would make life easier. However, when asked if the city was keeping its promise, she responded with a resigned, “Here and there.” On a typical day, Mack simply needed a ride to the grocery store, but getting one was far from easy. Watching her phone while waiting, she shared her frustrations with the News4 I-Team: “This is the part where you kind of wait and see.”
D.C. provides some options for wheelchair users, including Metro trains and buses and the MetroAccess program. However, the latter requires rides to be scheduled days in advance, making it a less-than-ideal solution for those who need more flexibility. Another program, Transport DC, offers subsidized taxi rides, but it only covers trips within the district. For rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft, D.C. has no requirements for wheelchair-accessible vehicles, even though these services account for 95% of all for-hire rides in the city.
This leaves taxis, which make up just 5% of all for-hire trips. While the District has a law requiring 20% of large taxi fleets to be wheelchair accessible, enforcement of this mandate has been spotty at best. The head of the Department of For-Hire Vehicles (DFHV) admitted to the I-Team, “We can’t punish them into compliance.”
Frustration is common among wheelchair users in D.C. Naomi Hess, another rider who has faced difficulties finding accessible taxis, expressed her disappointment with the city’s efforts: “There really, really needs to be progress.” Last year, D.C. allocated $500,000 to incentivize taxi drivers to operate Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles (WAVs), offering higher pay for working late hours or during peak times. The city even set up a WAV hotline to connect passengers with accessible vehicles. But, as Hess experienced, these efforts have fallen short. “I tried that pilot line multiple times, and they just couldn’t find one for me. Where is the money going?”
The city spent $255,000 on the pilot program and reported that it generated 435 taxi trips from June to December 2024. That comes out to about $586 per ride. Jonathan Rogers, Director of DFHV, spoke about the program, saying, “Council encouraged us to experiment and figure out what would change behavior… so that’s what we did.” He hoped the program would build momentum, with six new drivers adding accessible vehicles to the fleet. In March 2025, the city launched a new pilot program with additional incentives for taxi companies and drivers. A spokesperson for the department also mentioned that letters would be sent to all taxi companies asking for long-term plans to improve accessibility.
Despite these efforts, Hess remains frustrated. “Anyone without a wheelchair can get an Uber, Lyft, or taxi, whatever they want. It’s just not fair. And it has put me in unsafe situations,” she told the I-Team. One particularly harrowing experience occurred last fall when Hess planned her travel to see a Sabrina Carpenter concert in Baltimore. After a delayed train, she arrived at Union Station in D.C. at 1 a.m., with limited options for getting home. “I was forced to walk home alone in the middle of the night,” she said.
Mack and Hess point to New York City as a model for what’s possible. According to the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission, the city has over 12,000 wheelchair-accessible taxis and rideshare vehicles, making up 46% of the total fleet. In fact, by law, anyone who wants to drive for rideshare services in New York must use an accessible vehicle.
While D.C. has made some strides with Uber offering a limited number of accessible vehicles, Lyft does not offer accessible rides in the District. A Lyft spokesperson told the I-Team that the company will “continue to push for solutions that make rideshare as accessible as possible for everyone.”
In contrast, many taxi companies in D.C. face significant challenges regarding wheelchair-accessible vehicles. The vehicles are expensive to purchase and maintain, with added costs due to modifications needed to accommodate wheelchairs. This could explain why the I-Team found many out-of-service accessible vehicles in taxi lots marked with labels like “junk” and “needs engine and transmission.”
Back at her apartment, Mack was still waiting for confirmation that her taxi was on its way. She shared that she had kept track of all her attempts to hail a taxi over the past three years, tallying a failure rate of 71%. “I had 72 attempted trips,” she said, “and averaged those years and came out with a 71% failure rate.”
Once again, the taxi didn’t arrive.
The struggle to secure accessible transportation in Washington, D.C. continues, despite the city’s efforts to improve the situation. For riders like Mack and Hess, the hope is that more can be done to ensure that all residents have equal access to reliable, accessible transportation. As Hess put it, “There really, really needs to be progress.” Until that happens, wheelchair users in D.C. will continue to face an uphill battle.
Source: NBC Washington
Image Source: Wheel Chair Travel
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