Ride-sharing companies one step closer to picking up passengers at Sky Harbor
The proposal that would allow ride-sharing companies like Uber and Lyft to pick up passengers at the airport cleared another hurdle Thursday afternoon. The controversial measure, which would drastically alter the airport’s fee structure for ground transportation, was barely approved in a 5-4 vote by the Phoenix Aviation Advisory Board. Uber and Lyft are already permitted to drop off passengers on Sky Harbor Boulevard, but if the measure passes the Phoenix City Council later this spring, those services could pick up passengers too. Board members claimed the revamp was a much-needed overhaul of an outdated and unfair policy for some companies. “We surveyed the top-20 U.S. airports in the nation and Sky Harbor is the only airport that has yet to modernize our ground transportation policy,” Chad Makovsky, assistant aviation director, said. “Some commercial operators are paying fees that specifically subsidize the operation of other competing businesses.” Uber and Lyft would be new operators under the policy, meaning their per-trip fee would immediately jump up to $4 — existing operators would be phased into the seat-based fee plan. But off-site airport parking services argued their $6 per-trip fee would put them out of business, thereby eliminating around 200 jobs between the different companies. “(The $6 fee) doesn't sound like a lot but if you consider the number of trips we do every year, it would total for us about $400,000 per year which is absolutely catastrophic to my business,” David Warren, owner of Blue Sky Airport parking, said.
Paying respects to Scalia, who ‘shaped the history of our country’
WASHINGTON - Several Arizonans were among the thousands who waited hours in line outside the Supreme Court on a chilly Washington winter afternoon Friday to pay their respects to the late Justice Antonin Scalia.
McCain, Kirkpatrick focus efforts on growing Latino vote in Senate race
WASHINGTON - The campaign to re-elect Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, is calling on Latino voters this year - literally and figuratively.
Q&A: McCain wants more troops in Syria, settle U.S. cybersecurity battle
Republican Sen. John McCain spoke with Cronkite News Friday about key issues facing the nation, from the choices to replace Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia to the challenges of national security.
New bills in the House and Senate are giving parents more control with their child’s education
Several House and Senate bills (HB2056, HB 2088, SB1321) are being proposed that would give parents the ability to opt their kids out of standardized testing.
Growing Arizona wild burro population threatening native wildlife
YUMA — The thousands of wild burros that roam the vast Arizona landscape, more than any other state, are beloved by out of state visitors and locals alike.
Arizona has accepted tens of thousands of refugees from conflicted countries over the last 40 years
Arizona has resettled more than 70,000 refugees in the last four decades, spending more than $10 million each year in federal dollars, according to the U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement - putting it in the top ten states last year to accept citizens from war torn and conflicted countries.
Arpaio, Trump rhetoric helps mobilize Latino voters, advocates say
WASHINGTON - Latino groups looking to help Hispanics flex their political muscle this election said that job is being made easier by rhetoric from people like Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and GOP presidential hopeful Donald Trump, among others.
Arizona DES unveils workforce development rebrand
In order to unify workforce development efforts across the state, the Arizona Department of Economic security announced its latest initiative, ARIZONA@WORK, on Wednesday.
Virtual reality training could help prepare Arizona police
Virtual reality training could become a reality for more Arizona police departments.
Arizonans weigh in on picking Supreme Court successor to Scalia
WASHINGTON - Washington officials may be arguing over what will follow the sudden weekend death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, but to Phoenix resident David Plummer the answer is obvious - the president should nominate a replacement, and quickly.
Arizona organizations celebrate Black Deaf History Month
Hundreds of people gathered at the Fifth Annual African American Conference on Disabilities Friday, which kicked off a weekend of Black Deaf History Month events. The conference’s keynote speaker Talila Lewis, founded the country’s first and only national database for deaf prisoners.
