EarthCab brings green relief to increasingly congested east county

Business Report Correspondent

An Indian god of commerce and a St. Christopher (patron saint of travelers) statue might not be the typical decor for a taxi company, but then again, very little is typical about EarthCab, the new natural gas taxi fleet serving east Boulder County.

As long as service originates or terminates within a six-mile radius of Midway and Nickel in Broomfield, EarthCabs can go anywhere.

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Typical of the atypical nature of the company is its President and Founder James R. “Jim” Merlino. An attorney-cum-entrepreneur who finds his Rutgers law background particularly useful when dealing with taxation issues, Merlino conceived the idea of a high-service, high-tech, low-pollution transportation company after hearing author Amory Lovins speak at a State of the World forum in the late 80s. Lovins spoke about decreasing harm to the environment while increasing meaning of people’s lives, and the concepts struck home with Merlino.

“Taxis are basic; they’re used worldwide,” Merlino says. “I didn’t want something that would be a ?boutique item,’ or only accessible by the wealthy. I wanted to meet a need, be environmentally responsible and enable the people who work with me to enjoy good lives.”

EarthCab now has 12 drivers and three dispatchers who keep the lights on at all times. The seven current cabs are Hondas and Ford Crown Victorias, all with engines manufactured to run on natural gas.

During the ?90s, traffic on U.S. 36 went from less than 50,000 vehicle trips per day to nearly 80,000. Broomfield’s population grew by approximately 50 percent in the same period. In the next 20 years, Broomfield will add 35,000 new jobs, 47,000 in Longmont, and upwards to 137,000 in the entire county, according to a countywide study by Boulder County planners. Meanwhile, population is only projected to increase by 72,000, which means commuter traffic could increase by nearly 65,000.

EarthCab views itself as a key player in the effort to reduce traffic congestion. The company, which dispatched its first cab at 9:10 a.m., Nov. 28, was turning away business by its second week. “We’re straight about wait-time, and our drivers take service seriously,” Merlino says. “Our whole focus is service.”

EarthCab already has outgrown its original Broomfield building and will be moving in March to larger quarters only a mile away ? but with parking space, Merlino says. He also plans to enlarge the company by acquisition, and recently purchased Broomfield Transportation Co. Funds for the acquisition and to get the limited liability company launched came from 13 investors who together put in approximately $750,000.

Merlino says continued growth depends on connectivity, which means having a driver pick up a fare close to where he dropped one off. That, in turn, depends on getting EarthCab’s name known. “Our drivers all carry business cards that they drop off, during downtime, anywhere they happen to be.”

Drivers, who earn $10/hour plus tips, are EarthCab employees. Drivers at traditional taxi companies typically are free agents who lease cabs. EarthCab provides uniforms, health benefits and a 401K retirement plan. Because drivers are salaried, the need to get as many fares as possible is minimized, according to Merlino.

Natural gas is cheaper than regular gas, usually by about 40 cents per gallon, and is kinder to engines because it burns cleaner. A U.S. Department of Energy study in 1998 found that switching to natural gas reduced operating costs by 25 percent. Natural gas also has a higher ignition temperature and lower burning temperature, and produces 80 percent less tailpipe emissions than regular gas.

There are currently 20 natural gas stations in the Boulder area, including one at 30th street and Baseline Road and one in Longmont. EarthCab plans to have a Natural Fuels Corp. natural gas pump at its new location.

Not only does EarthCab increase its efficiency with cleaner, cheaper fuel, the company uses global positioning satellite technology to monitor the location of each taxi in the fleet. This allows dispatchers to direct the closest cab to respond to a call. GPS can also assure that taxis are both safe and reliable.

Merlino takes the name of the PUC certificate under which EarthCab operates, a Certificate of Necessity and Convenience, literally. One of his aims is a public service one, to provide transportation for those who do not have access such as nursing home residents or patients with mental and physical impairments that prevent them from driving. He is quick to add that he also wants to make money, and that Medicare, in the case of nursing home residents, usually picks up the tab.

Currently, the company’s focus is on hospitals, restaurants, bars and medical offices. Whenever possible, Merlino and his staff endeavor to use products produced by local companies and to do business with local vendors. The idea of using natural gas for public transportation vehicles, however, is not a local one. Other cities with natural gas cabs include Atlanta, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.

Call EarthCab at (303) 410-6500 or visit www.EarthCab.com.