Other stuff: Lyft founders step down, sick leave for gig workers, 'Train Daddy' returns
A big news week in the gig world
This week’s Other Stuff brought to you by the big news that ‘Train Daddy’ Andy Byford is back and headed to Amtrak. New York already loves him, but if he manages to fix America’s broken rail system, all of the U.S. will.
Ride-hail and cars
Lyft founders step back as ride-hailing company names new chief. Lyft Is Not for Sale, New CEO Risher Says. Lyft might drop shared rides, stay focused on basics under new CEO. Baidu receives approval to test Apollo driverless cars in Shanghai. South Korean ride-hail brand Kakao Mobility acquires travel startup Splyt. Madrid-based Uber rival Cabify raises $110 million at undisclosed valuation. Uber’s Top Lawyer Gets 40% Pay Boost Amid Legal Victories. Uber drivers, Instacart workers in CT would be paid $36 per hour under proposal. Proposal would add fees to Uber rides, Amazon deliveries to fund Minnesota transportation. Drivers criticize Uber’s worker flexibility campaign in Australia. Delaware tests on-demand, Uber-like public transit service. Paris is doing public EV charging right. Uber drivers to get incentives for charging vehicles at BP hubs. Uber Notches Partial Win in California PAGA Arbitration Dispute.
Micromobility
How to get more women on bikes? Better biking infrastructure, designed by women. US reintroduces e-bike tax credit of up to $1,500. Makeshift motor-bikes are bigger polluters than cars. French e-scooter rental startup Zeway raises €27 million. Lyft-run Divvy bikeshare hikes prices for second time in past year. World’s longest cycle tunnel opens in Norway next month. SF pilot program transitions delivery drivers to e-bikes. Oregon mulls ‘bike bus bill’ to fund alternative transportation to school. How Portland’s chief bike planner explains the decline in cycling. NYC proposes moving e-bike charging to fire and police stations. Delivery workers say latest NYC e-bike safety bills don't give enough support. It’s Not the Bike Lane’s Fault You’re a Bad Driver. We are living in a golden age of electric cargo bikes.
All things delivery
Ex-Grubhub Driver Wins $65 in 8-Year-Fight to Be Called Employee. Deliveroo accused of hitting earning power of riders. Dutch Supreme Court finds Deliveroo bicycle couriers to be employees, not self-employed workers. Massachusetts fines delivery startup Gopuff $6.2 million in worker pay dispute. Gopuff turns to rival Uber for rapid delivery help. Uber-owned alcohol delivery service Drizly lays off around 100 people. Deliveroo expands rapid grocery “Hop” service in London. Deliveroo launches first ghost kitchens site in Abu Dhabi. New York City council considers loosening fee caps on food delivery apps. Alameda passes permanent delivery fee cap even as Uber Eats threatens exit. Uber gets into same-day prescription delivery. Buy now, pay later explodes in grocery.
Policy and urban adventures
Seattle grants paid sick leave to most gig workers. NY Democrats propose 4% tax on Netflix, Uber to fund MTA. California lawmakers ‘stand up to Big Oil’ by passing bill that allows fines for price gouging at the pump. Uber, Lyft trade group questions Biden's labor nominee's gig workers stance. Pete Buttigieg still believes in smart cities. New York briefly entertains charging for residential street parking as a way to fund the subway. MTA Offers Funding for Bronx Clean-Up to Get Congestion Pricing Over the Line. Bay Area considers free transfers between some transit systems. How to save America’s public transit systems from a doom spiral. Google to win EU antitrust okay for maths app deal. US FTC seeking information on cloud providers' market power. The High Cost of Cheap Corporate Utilities. Top EU judge expects wave of litigation from tech giants against new tech law. EU right-to-repair proposal would require companies to fix things for 5-10 years after sale. Paris Garbage Workers to Suspend Strike Against Pension Reform.
Other other stuff
Researchers behind the 15-minute city struggle with conspiracy theories and death threats. Limited-edition SVB merch is booming online. The Weekend Silicon Valley Stared Into the Abyss. German VC Rethink Ventures launches €50 million fund dedicated to sustainable transportation. Job search platform Indeed to cut 2,200 jobs. Amazon rolls out contactless palm-scanning tech to locations including Panera cafes. Amazon raises UK worker pay by 50p an hour after walkout at Coventry warehouse. Amazon to cut another 9,000 jobs, including at AWS. The wild success of BookTok. FTC could make it easier to cancel subscriptions. Cigna Saves Millions by Having Its Doctors Reject Claims Without Reading Them. Attempts to Ban Books Doubled in 2022. MIT Scientists Twist Apart More Than 1,000 Oreos in Search for Perfect Method.