Based on peak congestion locations and times, the city is proposing a new variable Ground Transportation Tax structure. Under the current GTT, a flat rate of $0.60 is assessed per trip citywide, and a $5.00 flat rate is assessed per trip in special zones (the airports, Navy Pier and McCormick Place). As part of an effort to incentivize shared rides to combat both congestion and rising vehicle emissions in Chicago as well as encourage use of higher efficiency modes of like transit downtown, the city is proposing the following progressive structure:

• Decreasing the GTT on all citywide shared ride-hailing trips from $0.60 per trip to $0.53 per trip.

• Increasing the GTT on all citywide single ride-hailing trips from $0.60 per trip to $1.13 per trip.

• Assessing a downtown zone surcharge, placing an additional $1.75 per trip for single rides and $0.60 per trip for shared rides.

• No changes are proposed to the current $5 special zone fee, the $0.10 per trip accessibility fee or the $0.02 per trip administrative fee.

Representing areas among the highest density of trips citywide, the proposed structure will target ride-hailing trips in the downtown zone during the hours of 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays, when congestion is most prevalent. Shared trip requests on the south and west sides can range upwards of 50% of all requests, in comparison to less than 30% on the north side and downtown, city officials state.

In addition to the Bus Priority Zone Program, the congestion tax funding will support the city's efforts to ease congestion across the entire city, including commissioning an independent analysis to conduct a comprehensive congestion pricing study that will look at every community and how congestion impacts it.