North Adams Taxi Could Lose License

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
08:49AM / Tuesday, September 12, 2023Print Story | Email Story

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The City Council will hold a public hearing on Tuesday night at 6 p.m. on whether to pull OTT Taxi's operating license.

The taxi service was put on probation back in February for violations including unlicensed and underage drivers and unmarked cars being used to pick up fares.

Councilors at the time had little sympathy for owner John Lord's claims that he didn't know or understand the city's ordinance regulating taxi services.

But they did not wish disrupt the livelihoods of his drivers and the customers who needed the company's services and so issued a "stern warning" and 30 days probation.

Tuesday's public hearing is prompted by what officials say are continued violations.

A document supplied by interim Police Chief Mark Bailey refers to 14 violations, four parking citations and seven instances of drivers operating taxies without valid licenses. These violations were between Sept. 30, 2022, and July 22, 2023.

"Although there are reports of further violations occurring, these are the ones that have been documented by the North Adams Police Department, Bailey wrote.

In July, police say Lord was again seen driving taxi cabs, for which he does not have a license.

OTT has also moved out of its River Street offices this summer but has not changed the address on its license as required by ordinance.

Lord was informed by letter that "due to the continued issues, the City Council has determined they will need to reconvene to discuss them and determine its course of action."

Tags: public hearing, taxi,

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North Adams' Walnut Street Work to Start Next Spring

By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff
05:43AM / Wednesday, November 04, 2026

The city is in the process of taking 12 Oak Ave., with the hope of the contractor can use the property for staging equipment.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Work on the Walnut Street retaining wall is expected to begin next spring.

However, preparations for the project are starting now with the removal of trees, placement of utility poles and installation of drainage down Oak Street this fall — dependent on weather.

"We talked a lot about what we thought the schedule was going to be, and the contractor preferred to work on the stormwater management piece, and then move the utilities so we're not worrying about you in the winter," Mayor Jennifer Macksey told Walnut residents during a project update on Monday.

"The contractors will still be working up there, weather dependent. But originally, when we spoke, we talked about moving the utilities first. But we thought that it was a better plan to wait until the spring, so you won't have any disruption to your driveways."

She said there were concerns about depending on temporary utilities during the winter.

"I think this is the best course of action to do it and do it right. It's safety, we have to think of safety not only of all of you, but safety of our contractors," she said.

The city received a $2 million MassWorks grant, together with $200,000 left from flood recovery money, to rebuild the massive block wall holding Walnut Street 50-feet above a long abandoned quarry.

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