Mayor Lightfoot’s proposed ride-share fees would be the highest in the nation

Soon, if the City Council approves a proposed $3 tax on solo ride-share trips downtown, Chicago will have the highest ride-share fees in the country.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s proposed fare increase is part of a larger trend of cities pushing back against companies such as Uber and Lyft, which have been mostly unregulated since they flooded our city scene at the start of the decade.

It is believed that the proposed fees in Chicago will do what Mayor Lori Lightfoot says they will do: reduce traffic congestion in the Chicago downtown/Loop.

Ride-share companies have countered that their goal would be to help take private cars off the street. City data backs up their claims that they are serving low-income areas where, historically, cabs have been less likely to go due to variety of reasons.