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City Council committee backs Mayor Brandon Johnson's plan for Chicago's first taxi fare hike in 10 years

By
Todd Feurer
Todd Feurer
Web Producer, CBS Chicago
Todd Feurer is a web producer for CBS Chicago. He has previously written for WBBM Newsradio, WUIS-FM and the New City News Service.
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Todd Feurer

/ CBS Chicago

After a one-month delay, the City Council is moving forward with plans to increase taxi fares in Chicago for the first time since 2016.

By a voice vote on Monday, the Committee on License and Consumer Protection advanced a measure proposed by Mayor Brandon Johnson's administration to increase taxi fares by approximately 20% to help the struggling taxicab industry, which has struggled to compete with ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft, which face far fewer regulations from the city.

The committee originally was scheduled to discuss the fare hike last month, but that vote was delayed.   

Business Affairs and Consumer Protection Commissioner Ivan Capifali said the fare hike would help cab drivers offset costs for gas and maintenance, which have risen steadily over the past decade, while their fares have remain unchanged.

The proposal would not increase the so-called "flag pull" of $3.25 for the first 1/9th of a mile of a cab trip, but the price for each additional 1/9th of a mile would go up from 25 cents to 31 cents.

Another 25 cents would be added for every 45 seconds of the trip, up from 20 cents for every 36 seconds.

The fee for cleaning up vomit or other messes left behind by passengers would go up from $50 to $100.

A $2.50 rush hour fee would be added for rides between 3:30 p.m. and 7 p.m., and a $1 overnight fee would be charged for rides between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. 

The flat charge for a ride from cab stands at O'Hare International Airport to downtown (defined as an area bounded by Cermak Road, Fullerton Avenue, Ashland Avenue, and Lake Michigan) or to McCormick Place would go from $24 to $30 per person. The charge for a ride from cab stands at Midway International Airport to downtown or to McCormick Place would go from $18 to $22 per person. The cost of a ride between the two airports would go from $37 to $45 per person.

The city would also increase the fine for a cab driver's failure to activate the flag at the start of a trip to $1000. Currently, that fine ranges from $100 to $1,000.

Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd), who was the only member of the License Committee to oppose the fare hike, said some cab drivers have resorted to illegally charging passengers a flat fee for riding in their taxis, rather than pulling the flag to calculate the cost of the trip based on time and distance. Taxis in Chicago can only charge flat fees for trips to or from the city's airports or to and from McCormick Place.

The full City Council could hold a final vote on the taxi fare hike on Wednesday.

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