Joint statement: Council lays out three options for rideshare ordinance

Dear community, 

Earlier this year, we co-authored the Fair Drives, Safe Rides policy which guaranteed minimum wage equivalents and workers’ rights for rideshare drivers, and created safety and transparency protections for both riders and drivers. The policy was written in extensive consultation with drivers, city staff, and national experts. After receiving a majority vote of the City Council, it was vetoed by Mayor Frey. Council did not override the veto.

During the veto and Council discussion on veto override, the Mayor and several Council Members expressed broad support for the goals of minimum wage equivalents and increased workers’ rights and safety protections, but expressed concerns with the specifics of the ordinance. We took these comments seriously and reached out to every Council Member and the Mayor to hear their specific concerns, feedback, and suggested changes.

During these conversations, Mayor Frey and a Council Member shared minimum compensation proposals they would prefer to the original proposal. Our legislative work on Fair Drives, Safe Rides has always prioritized using data as a basis for good policymaking. We have decided to do our due diligence and evaluate all three proposed minimum compensation models in a side-by-side analysis so that Council and the public can have clarity on which model gets drivers closest to a minimum wage equivalent.

To that end, we have introduced a legislative motion for a comparative analysis of the following three minimum compensation models. This comparative analysis will be presented to Council by January 19th, 2024:

Model A (Original proposal): A minimum compensation rate of $1.40 per mile and $0.51 per minute for the time transporting a rider.

Model B (Mayor Frey’s proposal): A minimum compensation rate of $1.17 per mile and $0.35 per minute for the time transporting a rider.

Model C (Alternative proposal): A flat rate of $24 per hour, applied only during time on the way to pick up a rider or during the time transporting a rider.

We look forward to using the results of this analysis to bring forward the policy that accomplishes the shared goal of guaranteeing minimum wage equivalents to drivers. We are hopeful that such a policy could pass with full support of the Council and Mayor early next year once there is full clarity on how the models compare to each other.

Sincerely,

Council Members Wonsley, Chavez, and Osman