Boston passed a measure on Tuesday that will require all taxis operating within the city to go hybrid by 2015. Mayor Thomas Menino stated that the new requirement is an essential step in improving Boston’s air quality.

Currently, Boston’s fleet of 5,500 vehicles is made up of mostly Ford Crown Victorias. Boston’s Clean Air Cabs program was a huge success, with cabbies saving an average of $40 per day on gas, but not everyone is happy about the overall measure. Many among the 370 cab operating companies in Boston are concerned with the limited trunk space of the new hybrid alternatives, and question how this will affect picking up luggage-toting travelers to and from the airport. Additionally, the batteries on hybrid taxis will need to be replaced every few years, costing owners an estimated $5,000 per replacement battery.

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The TakePart Top 10 Weekly Roundup is a compilation of the week’s most notable stories from our entertainment-meets-social-action blogging network. Check out some of our most popular stories of the week, as well as a few TakePart blogger favorites!

TakePart Gang:

Sudan Leader Charged with Genocide: What Are the Reactions? by Wendy Cohen

Inconvenient Truth of the Day: Al Gore Speaks on Climate Change by Joshua Tremblay

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Nicole Hughes:

“Farms in the Sky” a Solution to Global Food Crisis?

Wal-Mart Launches Eco-Bling Project

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Andy Kondrat:

NYC To Bring in 300 Hybrid Taxis Per Month

Coolio To Educate Students On Climate Change

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Jon Popham:

Pickens’ Plan for Energy Independence

On “Rent” Closing, the East Village, and Gentrification

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Gina Telaroli:

Batman Morals: Top 5 Lessons from the Capped Crusader’s Films

Emmy Nominations Kick “The Wire” to the Curb

Our very own Nicole Hughes told you a few months back that New York City has been working on greening its taxi fleet, and yesterday Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that greening will happen at an even faster clip.   In fact, the cabs that clog New York’s roadways will be replaced by hybrids at a rate of 300 a month.   Mayor Bloomberg has been working with automakers to increase the supply of hybrids to cabbies, and

Nissan Motor Co has promised the city to supply up to 200 of its Altima hybrids per month, while General Motors will provide 50 Chevrolet Malibu hybrids and Ford Motor Co promised 50 of its Escape hybrids, the mayor said.   That adds up to 90 more cars per month than the Taxi and Limousine Commission had said were needed to meet its goals, which aim to ensure that by 2012, the entire taxi fleet will be all-hybrid or a mix that includes other cars with similar high mile-per-gallon ratings.

This is all part of Bloomberg’s plan to accomplish 127 green initiatives before he becomes term-limited in 2010, as well as part of PlaNYC, which includes not only those 127 initiatives (93% of which have been at least launched), but a plan to make New York City a greener, better city by 2030.

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