New York's bright yellow taxicabs are about to take on some more color as part of a temporary traveling public art exhibit.

Starting next year, psychedelic flowers will grow on thousands of taxis, adding a new coat to the distinctive yellow.

"They say that the best art moves you, well this art really will move you," said Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

The privately-funded project called “Garden In Transit” will mark the 100th anniversary of the first metered taxi.

The cabs will display large, colorful flower decals painted by school-age children and volunteers from throughout the city. Many of the kids who will draw the flowers are in the hospital or are disabled, says the founder of the coordinating group.

"This is really kid power, and this is going to show the world how great it is" says Ed Massey of Portraits of Hope.

The painting will begin this September, and the panels will begin to appear in September 2007 and end the following December.

The art leaves no lasting mark and no one's required to put it on. It's up to the taxi owner.

Cabbies NY1 spoke with say they have no problem with it. They're even looking forward to letting kids have a city-sized platform for their art.

"I would be glad to have something like that on the top of my taxi," says taxi driver Jean.

"Children will have a part of it, so that's what I like about it. It makes the kids make happy, and makes the job be a little better," adds driver Serigne Tall.

The art comes as taxi officials are slowly greening the city's nearly 13,000-car fleet. The programs aren't related, but about 250 new hybrid-powered cars are about to hit the road.

One thing remains the same, as it has for decades: flowers or no flowers, hailing a cab is impossible in the rain.

- Josh Robin