Happy News: Driving Change in Colorado

A Colorado Driver's Cooperative next in a movement of locally owned services

Nov 15, 2024

Latest updates and key takeaways from this story:

The Colorado branch of this federated cooperative launched in September 2024.

Riders make a guaranteed 80% of the fare, which could be up to 4x what they would get with the rideshare giants Uber and Lyft.

There is an active base of 4,000 drivers and 14,000 riders (who are often paying less than with the tech giants).

Read this article for more details.

And they’re not alone. If you’re looking for similar startups in California and Hawaii, try Fare or Holoholo (and there could be more — if you’re heard of any, please comment below so we can update our wiki on community owned alternatives like these!)

Colorado has even more going on in community wealth transportation, including a non-profit car share for Denver and Boulder. Car sharing, if you weren’t in the know, is a type of short-term car rental where you only pay for what you use, resulting in access to vehicles without the high cost of car ownership. Members can access vehicles 24/7 so it’s ideal for neighborhoods to share resources.

Also, the Colorado branch have a class on how to start this in your city. Please message me to put you in touch with the right people to make this happen if you want to organise in your area, email info@coloradodrivers.coop, or use the contact methods on their website at coloradodrivers.coop.

For Raleigh, NC organising, please reach out to Anthony Gagnon.

For networking to find other drivers, suggested communities to talk about this in are the App Drivers Union and UberPeople.net.

We need help getting the word out — Helpers, please take a few minutes to tell someone you know, DM an influencer, or email a news outlet with this story!

Happy News!

A group of rideshare drivers in Colorado have launched a worker-owned cooperative to widespread support. Let’s talk about how much of a win this is for humanity.

The Colorado Drivers Cooperative was created as an alternative to driving for large companies like Uber and Lyft, who dominate 90% of the market. At the co-op, drivers receive 80% of each fare - compared to only around 60% at Uber and Lyft.

The cooperative structure also gives them more control and ownership over the business, rather than being at the mercy of decisions made by a global corporation.

Drivers report better work-life balance and working conditions there. And because it's community-owned, they can respond quickly to local needs - like when they provided free rides to the polls this past election day.

And the Colorado Coop isn't alone. They are part of a larger federated movement and Holoholo Rideshare in Hawaii have been going strong since 2021, showing the potential of community-owned platforms to reshape our economies.

Imagine a world where most of our essential services were locally owned and operated for the benefit of the community. That dream is becoming a reality, one community brand at a time. As they say in Colorado, "Let's Drive Change Together!" and follow me for more Happy News about community wealth building and how you can drive real change in your community.

Links and more info below, and before you go, check out this interview with John for a firsthand look at the coop is like!