Seattle mayor pitches rideshare fee and pushes for minimum wage for Uber, Lyft drivers
Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan has unveiled an ambitious plan to radically change how Uber and Lyft drivers are paid that includes an increase to the city's per-ride fee on rideshare fares.
Under the proposal dubbed 'Fare Share', Durkan and her staff want to raise the city's rideshare fee charged per ride from $0.24 to $0.75. It will establish minimum wages and benefits for rideshare drivers, pay for a new 'Driver Resolution Center,' affordable housing, and to fully fund the Center City Connector street car line.
The mayor's complex package claims this increased fee will generate $52 million between 2020-2025. That money will be used to build 500 units of affordable housing near public transportation, and another $56 million to fund the streetcar, which has been in the unfunded purgatory created by overruns, and unexpected costs.
Proponents of the streetcar have argued it is needed to connect the existing South Lake Union and First Hill lines. The latter, Durkan said, has had a 31% increase in ridership since 2018.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/seattle-mayor-pitches-rideshare-fee-and-pushes-for-minimum-wage-for-uber-lyft-drivers/ar-AAHvwBP