Major Ride Share Companies Accused of Taking Advantage of CTA Fatality

An apparent suicide stopped trains Tuesday morning at the Fullerton stop, which serves as a hub for Chicago's North Side transit. Prices for a ride from the area to downtown via Lyft reached triple digits.

1 minute read

August 17, 2017, 1:00 PM PDT

By Casey Brazeal @northandclark


CTA Stop

sevenMaps7 / Shutterstock

The city of Chicago is unhappy with Lyft and Uber who, it feels, took advantage of chaos created by the death of a man at the Fullerton Avenue Train stop. The death, which police believe was suicide, happened around 6:30 am and stopped trains headed downtown from the busy station until 9:30 am.

Kelly Bauer and Tanveer Ali report in DNA Info that Lilia Chacon of Chicago's Business Affairs and Consumer Protection department expressed her disappointment that companies "took advantage" of the situation, "But she said the companies were not necessarily doing anything illegal by raising rates." Bauer and Ali report. A Lyft spokesperson said the event was particularly challenging, because it took place during peak transit hours and was completely unexpected. The results were fares that would normally be $13 costing as much as $110 according to Bauer and Ali. 

Tuesday, August 15, 2017 in DNA Info

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Concrete Brutalism building with slanted walls and light visible through an atrium.

What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities

How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.

February 28, 2025 - Justin Hollander

Complete Street

‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge

Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.

February 27, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Green electric Volkswagen van against a beach backdrop.

The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan

Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.

March 3, 2025 - ABC 7 Eyewitness News

View of mountains with large shrubs in foreground in Altadena, California.

Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire

In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.

March 9 - Pasadena NOw

Aerial view of single-family homes with swimming pools in San Diego, California.

San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule

The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.

March 9 - Axios

Close-up of row of electric cars plugged into chargers at outdoor station.

Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives

A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.

March 9 - UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation