Minneapolis City Council open to tweaks to rideshare ordinance

The latest: City staff are asking for as much Minneapolis-specific data as possible from a broader statewide study on Uber and Lyft rides, Council Members Aurin Chowdhury and Aisha Chughtai said.

• By the week of April 15, city staff will report to the council on whatever numbers they receive.
• The new numbers could lead to adjustments to the ordinance, which currently sets the minimum rate of pay for a rideshare driver at $1.40 per mile.

Between the lines: In the Twin Cities metro, the recently released statewide study suggested a rate of $1.21 per mile would guarantee drivers a $15.57 minimum wage while also covering vehicle expenses plus a suite of benefits.

• Yes, but: Council members cited the need for more granular data, saying Minneapolis' gas prices are higher than the rest of the metro.

What they're saying: "The only question is a technical question," said Council President Elliott Payne. "What is the formula that will get us to a guaranteed minimum wage for our drivers?"

What's next: Council members say the city is working to remove startup barriers for Uber and Lyft alternatives that have expressed interest in starting in Minneapolis.

• Some of those barriers include an approximately $45,000 licensing fee.

Go deeper: Uber threatens to pull out of Twin Cities metro

• These upstart rideshare companies want into Minneapolis
• Assessing Uber, Lyft's threats to leave

Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify when city staffers will present their findings to the full council.