>> IF YOU RELY ON RIDESHARE
COMPANIES LIKE UBER OR LYFT TO
GET AROUND CHICAGO YOUR FARE
WOULD BE HIGHER.
MAYOR LORI LIGHTFOOT PROPOSED
NEW FEES ON RIDESHARE TRIPS AS
PART OF THEIR 2020 BUDGET WHICH
SHE SAYS WILL RAISE $40 MILLION
FOR THE CITY WHILE DECREASING
CONGESTION AND FUNDING PUBLIC
TRANSIT IMPROVEMENTS.
WHAT ARE THE SPECIFICS OF THE
PLAN?
AND HOW WILL IT IMPACT
TRANSPORTATION ACROSS CHICAGO?
JOINING US ARE MELODY, INTERIM
DIRECTOR OF THE ACTIVE
TRANSPORTATION ALLIANCE A
ADVOCACY GROUP AND REVEREND
WILLIAM HALL OF ST. JAMES
COMMUNITY CHURCH IN CHATHAM AND
WELCOME TO "CHICAGO TONIGHT."
I WOULD LIKE TO BEGIN WITH YOU.
GIVE US AN OVERVIEW WHAT THE
MAYOR IS PROPOSING?
>> WHAT WE UNDERSTAND IS THAT
THE MAYOR IS PROPOSING A
REALLOCATION OF THE BURDENS OF
THE TRANSIT --
OF THE RIDE HAILING FEES.
GOING FROM A FLAT FEE TO
REDISTRIBUTING THOSE BURDENS TO
TRIPS THAT ARE PRIMARILY
DOWNTOWN, MAKING THOSE FEES
HIGHER AND MAKING THE FEES
HIGHER FOR SOLO TRIPS SO THE
NEGATIVE IMPACTS THAT ARE
HAPPENING AS A RESULT OF RIDE
HAILING IN THE CITY OF CHICAGO
ARE BEING PAID FOR.
>> IF ONE IS GOING TO THIS AREA
OUTLINED ON THE MAP OR LEAVING
FROM THAT AREA THEY WOULD SEE AN
INCREASE IF IT'S SOLO.
>> CORRECT.
>> INCREASE IF IT'S SOLO.
REVEREND HALL YOU'VE EXPRESSED
CONCERN ABOUT THE MAYOR'S
PROPOSAL?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
I EXPRESS MY CONCERNS ARE
CENTERED ON THE IDEA THAT
INCREASE FOR SINGLE RIDERS NOT
IN THE ZONE WHICH IS NOT BEING
COMMUNICATED.
GOING FROM 75TH, ON 71 TO 69TH
YOU WILL SEE AN INCREASE IN THE
RIDESHARE RIDING SOLO.
THOSE RIDING WITH SOMEONE ELSE
YOU HAVE TO PAY AS WELL.
I THINK THE EMPHASIS ON DOWNTOWN
WHICH IS WHAT IT IS, IS JUST
ONLY ONE FRACTION OF THIS TAX.
WHEN WE LOOK AT SOMEONE WHO
LIVES IN THE CHATHAM LIKE I LIVE
IN AND WANTS TO GO DOWNTOWN TO
WORK, ADDITIONAL $1.25 ROUND
TRIP THAT IS $6.
THAT IS $30 TIMES FOUR IS $120
TIMES 10 MONTHS IS CLOSE TO
$1200 YOU ARE ASKING SOMEONE TO
PAY.
THAT IS EXTRA RENT AND MORTGAGE,
HEAT AND GAS NOT INCLUDING ANY
OTHER EXPENSES IF THEY HAVE A
CHILD.
I THINK THAT TAXING THOSE WHO
ARE DEPENDENT UPON RIDESHARES
WHICH ARE SAFE IS NOT THE RIGHT
THING TO DO.
>> THE RIDESHARE COMPANIES AGREE
WITH THE REVEREND IN THAT THEY
SAY THIS IS A REGRESSIVE TAX IT
IS A FLAT TAX THAT HAS AN IMPACT
ON POOR PEOPLE, LOWER INCOME
PEOPLE.
IS THAT CORRECT?
>> WELL, WE DON'T SEE IT THAT
WAY.
AS A SOUTH SIDE RIDER TO
REVEREND HALL I KNOW THAT A TRIP
DOWNTOWN FROM MY HOME DURING
PRIME RUSH-HOUR IS CLOSE TO $20
AND THAT THE IS WITHOUT TIP.
AS OPPOSED TO TAKING THE METRA
ELECTRIC OR AN EXPRESS BUS WHICH
IS $4 OR LESS.
THE FOLKS THAT ARE DEPENDENT ON
RIDE HAILING ARE SHELLING OUT
QUITE A BIT.
>> IN ADDITION TO WHAT YOU ARE
SAYING I THINK THAT LET'S LOOK
AT THE SAFETY OF THE RIDESHARE.
IT'S MORE ABOUT SAFETY.
WHEN YOU ARE ASKING SOMEONE I
KNOW A LADY WHO LIVES CLOSE TO
YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD WHO HAS A
CHILD WITH SPECIAL NEEDS.
DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT IS FOR A
WOMAN WITH A SPECIAL NEEDS CHILD
TO WAIT ON THE BUS STOP IN THE
DEAD HEAT OF WINTER AND GET ON A
BUS THAT IS NOT SAFE.
PEOPLE DEPEND ON IT NOT JUST TO
GO DOWNTOWN BUT PEOPLE THAT USE
IT TO GO TO AND FROM LAUNDRY AND
IT'S NOT JUST FOR THOSE DOWNTOWN
BETWEEN MONDAY-FRIDAY.
THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING
NEIGHBORHOOD TO NEIGHBORHOOD.
THOSE WHO ARE DEPENDENT ON THE
RIDESHARE TO TAKE THEM TO THE
LOCAL LAUNDROMAT WHERE IT'S
COSTING $30 TO DO LAUNDRY.
OUR CHURCH RENTED OUT FOUR
LAUNDRY MATTES FOR THREE HOURS
WHEN YOU ARE SAYING TO COME ONE
NEIGHBORHOOD TO NEIGHBORHOOD YOU
HAVE TO PAY MORE TAXES AND
PUTTING YOUR SAFETY ON THE LINE
TO GO TO AND FROM, PEOPLE NEED
TO HAVE NOT ONLY JUST SAFETY BUT
THEY NEED NOT BE SPENDING SO
MUCH MONEY.
>> IN TERMS OF THERE IS A SAFETY
ARGUMENT AND ALSO SOME OF THE
FEES WOULD GO TO MAKE PUBLIC
TRANSPORTATION MORE ACCESSIBLE
PRESUMABLY SAFER.
TELL US ABOUT THAT.
>> RIGHT.
IT'S OUR BELIEF THAT RIDE
HAILING IS FILLING A VOID FOR
FOLKS ON THE SOUTH AND WEST
SIDES WHO HAVE LESS ACCESS TO
TRANSIT, LESS FREQUENT SERVICE,
LESS RELIABLE SERVICE AND IF WE
COULD SHIFT OUR DOLLARS TOWARD
MAKING THOSE SERVICES MORE
ROBUST WE WOULD LESSEN THE NEED
FOR RIDE HAILING SERVICES.
TO YOUR POINT REVEREND, I HAVE A
DAUGHTER WITH DOWN'S SYNDROME
AND I AGREE 100% THAT CAR
TRANSPORTATION SHOULD BE
RESERVED FOR THOSE WHO NEED IT
THE MOST.
PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, PEOPLE
WITH WHO ARE OLDER, ADULTS,
YOUNGER PEOPLE WITH CHILDREN.
BUT THE VAST MAJORITY OF US
SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET WHERE WE
WANT TO GO ANYWHERE IN THE CITY
WITH WORLD CLASS PUBLIC
TRANSPORTATION.
>> AND YOU THINK THE SCHEME
WOULD MAKE THAT TRANSIT PUBLIC
TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM BETTER.
>> THE FUNDING WILL GO TOWARDS
SPEEDING UP THE BUSES AND
REDUCING CON GRENGS AND TAKING
SOME OF THE CARS OFF THE ROAD.
>> I'M HERE TO REPRESENT THE
MINORITY WHEN WE LOOK AT THE
MINORITY OF CHICAGO THERE ARE
THOSE MAKING THE AVERAGE INCOME
BEING $30-$40,000 A YEAR IN
ADDITIONAL $1200 HURTS THAT
PERSON LIVING PAYCHECK TO
PAYCHECK.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE
INVESTMENT PROPOSED $40 MILLION
TO BE INVESTED IN THE TRANSIT
SYSTEM THAT IS A PART OF THE ITS
SYSTEM.
79TH STREET AND ROUTES HERE AND
THERE IS NOT THE WHOLE SYSTEM.
JUST LOOK AT THE TRAINS FOR A
SECOND.
WE ARE LOOKING AT CLOSE TO 2500
CRIMES REPORTED LAST YEAR ON THE
TRAINS.
WE ARE LOOKING AT SETTING THAT
RECORD AGAIN UP UNTIL AUGUST 31,
1234 ACCORDING TO, CRIMES HAD
TAKEN PLACE ON THE TRANSIT
SYSTEM.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THOSE WHO ARE
THE MINORITY, THE LEAST OF THESE
WHO DEPEND ON AGE MINIMUM WAGE
JOBS LIVING OFF OF A DOLLAR 15
CENTS AND LET'S ADD DOLLAR 25
FOR SAFETY FOR THE CONVENIENCE
OF GETTING TO AND FROM TO MAKE
WHAT LITTLE THEY CAN I DON'T
THINK IT'S RIGHT.
>> I WOULD LIKE TO RESPOND TO
THAT I DON'T THINK WE ARE FAR
APART WHAT WE'RE SAYING.
WE'RE SAYING THE TRANSPORTATION
SYSTEM WE HAVE FALLS SHORT FOR
THE PEOPLE ON THE SOUTH AND WEST
SIDES FOR SURE.
WE NEED BETTER, SAFER
TRANSPORTATION, PUBLIC
TRANSPORTATION.
THIS IS THE PEOPLE'S
TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM.
AND FILLING THAT VOID WITH
PRIVATE COMPANIES AND PRIVATE
TRANSPORTATION THAT IS MORE
EXPENSIVE IS NOT WHAT WE THINK