Petition drive aims to give Uber/Lyft decision to the people

Although the Austin City Council left vague the specifics on a December decision to crack down on transportation network companies (such as Uber and Lyft), opponents to further regulation aren't taking any chances.

Having worked over the Christmas break to organize the resistance, a coalition calling itself Ridesharing Works for Austin announced it will be hosting a petition drive to place the current city rules on TNCs on the ballot for a yay or nay vote by, not City Council members, but the voters of Austin via a ballot referendum.

The petition will be at Austin Java (1206 Parkway, near North Lamar and 12th Street) from Tuesday, Dec. 29, through Monday, Jan. 4. Supporters plan to be at Austin Java from 7-11 a.m. and 4-8 p.m. daily in order to gather the 20,000 signatures necessary to put a measure on the next ballot -- though they may aim for many more as those on the other side will be looking for any reason they can to disqualify signatures. (Download a petition here.)


Uber and Lyft, which are co-sponsoring this petition drive, have previously warned that if the city's proposal to require fingerprints and thorough background checks on independent drivers passes in January, the two pioneer ridesharing app companies will leave town. Supporters of regulation (including some taxi operators and city staff) say leaving town is a bluff. A few scab companies hoping to capitalize on a sudden vacuum left by Uber and Lyft are banking on it being a sincere threat.

Undaunted, organizers are moving quickly. They warn that this is not the online petition that has already gathered 32,000-plus signatures in a single day on Uber's website. The official petition must be signed in person by Austin residents who are registered voters.

This petition drive is shaping up to be a bipartisan effort. The Tracker has learned that former Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell's chief of staff Mark Nathan, a Democratic strategist, is leading the local effort and reserved the domain name for the group. The Travis County Republican Party is also coming out swinging in support of privacy for those driving for transportation network companies.

"DUIs are down, accidents are down, costs are down, so of course the city government needs to find a way to 'fix' this," said Travis GOP Chairman James Dickey via Facebook. "If you agree it's working just fine without any 'help,' please show your support."

City Councilman Don Zimmerman, who also came out swinging early against fellow Council member Ann Kitchen's resolution to regulate TNCs earlier this year, stopped short of taking a side. However, he suggested that Austin residents who wish to have a say on this important matter consider signing the petition.

"Referendum and initiative petitions, enshrined in our City Charter, assure that the voices of Austin residents can be heard in a direct manner," Zimmerman said.

We'll keep tracking this petition drive as it develops. Until then, here's some fun:

UPDATES: (1/2/16)  The petition drive is extended to Monday, Jan. 4. A PDF of the petition is included above.