Minneapolis City Council still clashing over rideshare minimum wage ordinance
MINNEAPOLIS — As Minneapolis prepares for Uber and Lyft to skip town, several City Council members are hoping more discussions can keep the companies from leaving.
New data from a state study could hold the key to a deal.
The state-commissioned study focused on driver wages across the entire metro. The council, however, requested its specific findings for Minneapolis.
It's possible that data could lead to a change in the minimum pay requirements set in the new ordinance.
Until then, the city is trying to make the big transportation change a smooth one.
As Uber and Lyft drivers hustle passengers around Minneapolis, city staff are hustling in their own way in light of the companies' impending departure.
"Our city enterprise is working really, really hard to prepare for how we meet the needs of the city without these two rideshare giants that serve 400,000 rides per week across the metro area," council member Linea Palmisano said.
The tense topic once again took center stage at Thursday's City Council meeting, after council member Andrea Jenkins introduced a proposal to reconsider the ordinance that raises drivers' minimum wage.
That discussion will happen next month, a few weeks before Uber and Lyft plan to leave.
"Doesn't matter where the pressure is coming from, we acted accordingly, what we see fit for the city of Minneapolis drivers' rights to have a minimum wage," council member Jamal Osman said.
"I was at a high school yesterday and had students say, 'What's going on with Uber and Lyft? That's how I get to school every day.' Students with disabilities," council member LaTrisha Vetaw said.
To quell concerns, the co-authors of the rideshare ordinance emphasized the work happening to keep transportation running smoothly.
City staff are removing startup barriers that will allow new rideshare companies a smoother transition into Minneapolis. Several have expressed interest.
They're also better promoting Metro Mobility, which provides on-demand rides for people with disabilities. It handled more than 2 million rides in 2023. A spokesperson said MetroMobility has the capacity to handle an increase in riders.
Council members say they're also working with state legislators to come up with a statewide policy on drivers' minimum wage.
The next Minneapolis City Council meeting is April 11.