Members of local Uber- and Lyft-funded group Ridesharing Works for Austin cheered after wheeling into the Office of the City Clerk six cardboard boxes containing 23,000 petition signatures. If at least 20,000 turn out to be valid, City Council will have to consider the group’s transportation network company ordinance or, if it doesn’t approve, put it to a public vote. Mayor Steve Adler said Tuesday that his focus is not on the petition. Instead, he remains intent on bringing a compromise to Council members on Jan. 28 that will satisfy both the city and the transportation network companies. On Monday, Adler announced that he has been working with local tech companies to create an emblem that Lyft and Uber drivers can display on their driver profiles. The emblem would indicate if a driver has undergone a fingerprint-based background check. For more on this story, see today’s report from Audrey McGlinchy.
Mayor says successful TNC petition does not concern him
