Chicago — The Illinois Limousine Association (ILA) has been rallying both its members and resources to file a temporary restraining order to stop Chicago from implementing an ordinance that would allow TNCs to perform pickups and drop-offs at O’Hare and Midway International airports. Green-lighting TNC operations at the airports comes as part of Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s budget package, which City Council passed last month.
An October 19 ruling found in favor of a suit that the taxi industry had filed, with its judge indicating that the city had discriminated against traditional operations and that a level playing field is in order. On November 9, ILA’s board of directors voted on and approved a motion to hire legal counsel—the same firm representing taxis, Miller Shakman & Beem.
Legislation regarding TNCs—referred to as TNPs, or Transportation Network Providers, in the city’s proposed regulations—was pushed ahead anyway, giving the public until November 16 to comment on the policy. Well before the city had stopped accepting public feedback, however, O’Hare had already begun allocating TNC-only space to its upper level.
Now, despite raising more than $50,000 from members and supporters and with the ILA board strongly encouraging $30/vehicle member donations to help cover legal fees, both Lyft and Uber have been granted operating permission at O’Hare and Midway—in addition to signage throughout the terminals directing passengers to rideshare loading zones.
Before they are granted permission to begin airport drop-offs and pickups, TNC drivers must only register with the city, provide their own city-approved airport training, and affix identifying signage to their vehicles, as well as pay $5 every time they enter airport property.
TNCs are allowed “favorable access” at either airport avoiding the normal 10 – 12 minute delay (30 – 40 minutes on Thursday and Friday evenings) we encounter: at O’Hare, the upper level of the domestic concourse between Terminals 1 and 2 and Terminals 2 and 3, as well as a designated lower-level spot for international flights; at Midway, TNC drivers can only drop-off and pick up passengers at the south end of the terminal’s upper level. Fifteen parking spots at Midway’s cell phone lot will be set aside for TNC drivers and a staging area is dedicated to TNCs at O’Hare.
ILA President Tracy Raimer
In the meantime, Raimer says that moral and financial support both within the ILA and from the industry has been astounding, though there is still much support that is needed to continue the fight of TNC regulation.
“We’ve received an overwhelming response from the membership,” she said. “It wasn’t just companies in Chicago: We have had companies from other states who also sent in money to support our fight. This is going to affect every affiliate partner that has business in Chicago.”
The ILA’s next move is to keep an eye on TNC activity at the airports to make sure they’re operating within legally designated boundaries. As the association had until November 25 to file its injunction, it is currently waiting for the judge’s ruling in response; the timeline of both the city and the ILA’s additional responses will push into early 2016.
“Best case scenario is that we’re on a level playing field with TNCs,” Raimer said. “Even if they were to give concessions—such as making it easier to license our chauffeurs, instead of it being a three-month process or the large fees we pay to license them, and even the fees we pay for the plates on our vehicles—it still means absolutely nothing if they don’t allow us to pick up in the same timeframe as the TNCs. On a normal day, it takes us 10 to 12 minutes and can take upwards of 30 minutes to pick up; if TNCs are picking up within five minutes, there’s no way we can compete with that.”
The ILA will hold an open board meeting January 6 in Des Plaines.
Visit illinoislimousineassociation.com for more information.
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