The Twin Cities Are Taking Very Different Approaches to Lyft and UberX

Plenty of bridges connect Minnesota's Twin Cities over the Mississippi River, but don't try to cross any of them in a car with a pink mustache on the grill. The adjacent cities have taken very different stances on rideshare services or "transportation network companies" like Lyft (of pink mustache fame) and UberX. While St. Paul has allowed them to operate since late last summer, Minneapolis insists that they can't do so without a proper taxi license.

An attempt by Lyft to defy the Minneapolis ban in February captures both sides of the situation quite clearly. Reports that Lyft had planned a launch party in the city prompted officials to announce that any drivers from the service would be ticketed and their cars impounded. Meanwhile, a St. Paul spokesman told the Pioneer Press that the city supports "businesses that are new and innovative and cater to a tech-savvy, younger crowd."