The city of Chicago is already taxing rides with transportation network companies like Uber and Lyft. Now mayor Rahm Emanual wants to raise those fees and spend the extra money on transit projects.

Heather Cherone breaks the news about a potentially game changing proposal in Chicago, where "[t]he city is set to raise taxes on Uber or Lyft rides by 29 percent next year to fund improvements to CTA bus and train lines."
Mayor Rahm Emanual announced the proposed tax earlier this week, but the City Council still needs to approve the tax next month. If approved, "the city will add 67 cents to the cost of every ride hailed with a service such as Uber or Lyft next year, up from the current charge of 52 cents per ride," according to Cherone. " In 2019, that surcharge will rise another 5 cents to 72 cents — a 38 percent increase from 2017 rates, according to the mayor's proposal."
The city's existing rideshare taxes and fees are already generating a significant chunk of revenue—$56.9 million in 2016, with 81 percent of the money coming from Uber and Lyft. "In 2017, the city expects to collect $85.2 million, with 88 percent coming from Uber and Lyft," adds Cherone.
FULL STORY: New Tax On Uber, Lyft Would Pay For CTA Improvements, Rahm Says

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.

The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.

With Protected Lanes, 460% More People Commute by Bike
For those needing more ammo, more data proving what we already knew is here.

In More Metros Than You’d Think, Suburbs are Now More Expensive Than the City
If you're moving to the burbs to save on square footage, data shows you should think again.

The States Losing Rural Delivery Rooms at an Alarming Pace
In some states, as few as 9% of rural hospitals still deliver babies. As a result, rising pre-term births, no adequate pre-term care and "harrowing" close calls are a growing reality.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)