Mayor Fenty has until October 31 to issue an executive order about whether the city will make a switch away from the much-maligned yet beloved-by-many zone system in our taxis, but tomorrow, the D.C. Taxicab Commission will meet to vote on their recommendation to the Mayor. Everyone knows that the zone system is unpopular, especially with visitors to the city who often end up angry and confused about how much they should be charged for their trip. But the zone fares have plenty of defenders who argue that since the winners of the system are those who take longer journeys (a recent report on zone fares showed that shorter trips are more expensive while longer ones are cheaper), poorer District residents living out in Anacostia may no longer be able to afford to ride.

The Washington Post ran a story over the weekend detailing a third option that’s gaining some traction with the Commission: “zone meters.” Basically, GPS-enabled devices that can accurately measure the correct zone fare. The zone meters, which have already been installed in some Yellow Cabs, would help eliminate some of the confusion associated with D.C.’s odd system, the only one like it in the country. But confusion isn’t necessarily the main complaint about the zone system — zone meters would do nothing to address the disparities inherent in the system, which can charge wildly different fares for trips of the same distance.

The Taxicab Commission’s vote on Tuesday has been eagerly anticipated in the local media, but in reality, Mayor Fenty will make his decision on his own, and he’ll likely take most of this month and the next to make it. In the meantime, what do you think of the zone meter compromise?

Photo by MatthewBradley