By the beginning of the new year, ride-sharing companies such as Uber and Lyft are likely to win final approval to operate in Rochester, Minn.
Last week, the City Council passed by a 6-0 vote an ordinance that will allow transportation networking companies (TNCs) to begin service in the city of 112,000 people. A second reading at the council's Dec. 19 meeting or the first meeting of 2017, along with another vote making it law, must still take place before people can begin using their smartphones to arrange a ride.
The vote comes after months of heated debate in the state's third-largest city. A vote two weeks ago failed on a 3-3 tie and previous votes were delayed over fears from taxicab companies that ride-sharing services would create an uneven playing field.
Over the past few months, some residents have pushed for the ordinance, gathering more than 650 signatures in an online petition presented to the council.
"People are pretty excited," said City Council Member Michael Wojcik, who has supported the ordinance all along. "We have a taxicab system that leaves riders angry and frustrated. We don't have the quality public transit system like in the Twin Cities. There is a hole here. A lot of people suffer."
City Council President Randy Staver said he's heard from residents that wait times for taxis are often long and service "is less than ideal." He said he also hears frequently from visitors who ask about Uber. In voting for the TNC ordinance, Staver said, "as an elected body we are being responsive to those who want options."
The council's vote came after it fine-tuned the ordinance, which now reads much like those in St. Paul and the Fargo-Moorhead areas. The rules don't allow services to pick up fares on the street like traditional taxicabs, and drivers must undergo background checks and meet vehicle- and driving-record requirements.
"The goal was to let Uber operate here just like Uber operates everywhere else," Wojcik said. Even with an ordinance in place, it does not guarantee that Lyft, Uber or other ride-hailing companies will come to town. The companies will have to decide whether the market is big enough to make a go of it, Staver said.
