New York City taxi riders will now be able to hail a cab using smartphone applications after a state appeals panel cleared the way for a pilot program to move forward. The measure adopted by the New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission in December would run for 12 months and exempt areas such as airports that have provisions for taxi lines. While all licensed city cab drivers would be eligible, participation would be optional. The Livery Roundtable, Black Car Assistance Corp. and several car-service firms sued the TLC in February, claiming the program violates city codes and may let drivers discriminate against racial minorities based on their names or locations, as well as the elderly, who are less likely to own smartphones. Supreme Court Justice Carole Huff in April dismissed the lawsuit and lifted an earlier order blocking the program.