The Los Angeles City Council’s vote Tuesday to allow ride-hailing companies to pick up passengers at LAX severely undercut the taxi industry’s last competitive advantage in the city.
The loss came despite the hundreds of thousands of dollars taxi executives have spent over the decades on political lobbying and contributions. Although it's not at all unusual for business interests to spend that kind of money at City Hall, it is uncommon for a City Council vote to get so much grass-roots attention.
"If there’s one thing that unites people in L.A., it’s the necessity of getting around," said Jessica Levinson, a professor at Loyola Law School.