The Seattle City Council is moving ahead with a new tax on Uber and Lyft rides pitched by Mayor Jenny Durkan as a way to fund affordable housing, the delayed downtown streetcar and new support for the drivers who work on ride-hailing apps.
Council members unanimously approved the 57-cent tax Monday, as they voted on the 2020 budget.
Durkan and the council have also promised to ensure Uber and Lyft drivers make Seattle’s $16 minimum wage starting next summer, but the city first plans to study driver pay.
