ASHLAND, Ore. – Tuesday night, Ashland city councilors decided to overturn the mayoral veto on the ride-sharing ordinance.
Ride-sharing talks in Ashland have been going on for over a year now..
An ordinance to allow the companies was actually approved last fall, but both Uber and Lyft said the requirements were too restrictive.
The council re-visited the Ordinance, made some changes, and last week approved a new ordinance that worked for the ride-sharing companies.
But five days later, Mayor John Stromberg vetoed the ordinance, saying he wanted councilors to have more time to think about the original concerns.
But Tuesday night, the majority of council members said they’ve done enough thinking and they’re ready for ride sharing. The council overturned the mayoral veto with a four to two vote.
NBC5 News reached out to both Uber and Lyft after the original restrictions were removed. Both companies have told us they’re excited to expand to Ashland, but no dates are set as to when the service will be available in the city.
Lyft sent out the following statement Thursday:
“Lyft applauds the City of Ashland’s efforts to bring more efficient and reliable transportation options and expanded economic opportunities to their residents and visitors. We look forward to beginning operations in Ashland soon and won’t stop working to bring ridesharing to all of Oregon.”
An Uber spokesperson said, “Considering the community support that’s been expressed for ridesharing in Ashland, we look forward to serving riders and drivers there in the near future.”
The city also approved to revisit Uber and Lyft in a year.
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