New surcharges mandated by the City of Chicago may make your trip more expensive

In November 2019, the City of Chicago passed an ordinance that charges surcharges on rideshare trips, which may increase the prices riders pay when requesting a ride with Uber. The surcharge will be sent to the City of Chicago, as mandated by the ordinance.

Starting on January 6, 2020, trips that start or end in the Central Business District during peak times (6am and 10pm on weekdays) will have a surcharge of $3 for non-shared rides and $1.25 for shared rides. Outside of those peak times, UberX or UberXL rides anywhere in Chicago will be subject to a $1.25 surcharge and Pool trips will be subject to a $0.65 surcharge. With these increases, Chicago now has the highest rideshare surcharges in the country. This includes rider and administrative surcharges paid to the City of Chicago.

Below is a line item breakdown of the potential surcharges described above:

Chicago Ground Transportation Surcharge
For all rideshare trips in the City of Chicago, the Chicago Ground Transportation surcharge is $1.13 on UberX or UberXL trips or $0.53 on Pool rides. 

Chicago Accessibility Surcharge
The City assesses a $0.10 per-trip surcharge on any non-wheelchair accessible vehicle trip. The funds are deposited into the City’s Vehicle Accessibility Fund. 

Chicago Congestion Surcharge
For trips starting or ending in the Central Business District between 6am and 10pm on weekdays, a congestion surcharge is applied in the amount of $1.75 per UberX and UberXL or $0.60 per Pool ride. 

Special Venues Surcharge
In addition to the Chicago Ground Transportation Surcharge, the City of Chicago imposes a $5.00 surcharge for trips to, from, or between O’Hare International Airport, Midway International Airport, Navy Pier, and McCormick Place. 

Administrative Fee
The City of Chicago imposes a $0.02 administration fee.