The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority will decide this week whether or not to proceed with separate studies of two ideas that would generate transportation funding from car trips and potentially influence driver behavior.
"Transportation officials are considering a tax on Uber and Lyft rides in Los Angeles County, saying the Bay Area tech companies don’t pay their fair share to maintain public streets and exacerbate congestion in a traffic-choked region," reports Laura J. Nelson.
"If designed correctly, Metro’s tax on Uber and Lyft could nudge cost-conscious commuters to carpool or take public transit instead of riding alone with a driver," according to a source at Metro cited in the article.
The ride-hailing fee is still a very speculative idea at the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, similar to a congestion pricing proposal discussed earlier this year. Nelson is able to report that Metro's early calculation vary from 20 cents to $2.75 per trips. A 20-cent fee could raise $401 million over a decade, and a $2.75 fee could raise $5.5 billion, according to Metro's estimates.
According to Nelson, the idea is one of more than a dozen idea intended to mitigate congestion and fund transportation improvements before the 2028 Summer Olympic Games.
"Metro’s board of directors are scheduled to vote Thursday on whether to approve a study of the ride-hailing tax," according to Nelson.
FULL STORY: L.A. may tax Uber and Lyft rides to curb traffic congestion
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