Consideration of awarding LA Metro’s Bike Share contract to Lyft was postponed for a month by a committee vote Thursday, Jan. 18, after more than 700 comments on the controversial proposal were received by the board, in addition to loud protests.
Fifth District Los Angeles County Supervisor and Metro board memberKathryn Barger said the overwhelming number of comments prompted further analysis of the proposed contract and that the commenters raised “issues that need to be looked at.”
Barger was joined by fellow members of Metro’s Operations, Safety, and Customer Experience Committee who agreed to put off the matter until the next meeting in mid-February.
Barger said the committee needs time to “fully address the public comments,” adding, “I think it would be a fair process to do that.”
Before the committee meeting, drivers for Lyft, Uber, DoorDash and other car and bicycle delivery workers, known as gig workers, rallied against giving the contract to Lyft’s subsidiary, Lyft Bikes and Scooters, LLC., arguing that Lyft has not treated workers fairly and that the contract would downgrade bike share service in L.A. County.
“We want them (LA Metro) to invest in their bike share program. Invest in public services. We don’t need to privatize it and go to a place where it doesn’t function. We need public sector jobs for the middle class,” said Felipe Caceras, an organizer with the California Gig Workers Union.
Caceras spoke to the media during a rally in front of Metro headquarters Thursday morning.
About 40 gig workers — riding Metro Bike Share bikes adorned with placards in the spokes and handlebars that read “No Lyft Contract” and “Keep Lyft’s Claws Off Metro” — shouted slogans and rode in circles at the building’s front entrance.
About 40 gig workers from Lyft, Uber DoorDash and others protest Thursday against LA Metro proposal to grant Lyft contract for its bike share. #SCNG #LAdailynews
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