After leaving Austin on the losing side of a regulatory battle, a licensing ordinance might push Uber and Lyft to end operations in Chicago.
"Two-thirds of Chicago’s 50 aldermen want to license ride-hailing drivers to improve public safety and level the playing field with a taxicab industry fighting for survival against Uber and Lyft," reports Fran Spielman.
Ald. Anthony Beale (9th), chairman of the City Council’s Transportation Committee, proposed the licensing ordinance, which "would require Uber and Lyft drivers to get restricted chauffeur’s licenses after a one-day class, be fingerprinted by a city-approved vendor and get their vehicles inspected by City Hall."
The response by transportation network company representatives have been as expected. Uber’s Chicago general manager, Marco McCottry, is quoted directly in the article, saying, "If this ordinance were to pass, ride-sharing as we know it would no longer exist in Chicago…" Uber and Lyft have proven their willingness to act on such threats by ending operations in Austin after losing a similar regulatory debate in that city.
The alderman on the side of the taxi industry are opposed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who is "lobbying hard" to kill the licensing ordinance.
FULL STORY: Uber and Lyft threaten to abandon Chicago to avoid licensing
Oregon Passes Exemption to Urban Growth Boundary
Cities have a one-time chance to acquire new land for development in a bid to increase housing supply and affordability.
Where Urban Design Is Headed in 2024
A forecast of likely trends in urban design and architecture.
Savannah: A City of Planning Contrasts
From a human-scales, plaza-anchored grid to suburban sprawl, the oldest planned city in the United States has seen wildly different development patterns.
Washington Tribes Receive Resilience Funding
The 28 grants support projects including relocation efforts as coastal communities face the growing impacts of climate change.
Adaptive Reuse Bills Introduced in California Assembly
The legislation would expand eligibility for economic incentives and let cities loosen regulations to allow for more building conversions.
LA's Top Parks, Ranked
TimeOut just released its list of the top 26 parks in the L.A. area, which is home to some of the best green spaces around.
City of Rochester
Boston Harbor Now
City of Bellevue
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Birmingham, Alabama
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Colorado Department of Local Affairs
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.