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Cab company says it’s prepared for a comeback
Blue & White Taxi owns four of six cab companies listed as licensed in Minneapolis
ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. — A Minneapolis spokesperson says 39 taxi companies were licensed in the city in 2014. This was just before Uber entered the market in 2015. Today, there are just six licensed taxi companies, and four of them are under the same ownership of Blue & White Taxi.
Waleed Sonbol has been the co-owner and CEO for the last 20 years, and his father owned the company beginning in the late 1990s. In 2007, Blue & White Taxi acquired ABC Taxi.
“Then in 2015, after Uber came to town, the gentleman at Rainbow Taxi asked me to buy him out,” Sonbol said. “Then I bought out the gentleman at Red & White Taxi.”
The St. Louis Park-based company has been around for nearly a century and serves the seven-county metro area.
“It’s dealt with regulations from the city, it’s dealt with regulations from the state, it’s dealt with regulations from the federal government,” Sonbol said. “We’ve never closed up or cried or said, ‘We have to leave if you don’t do something.’ We’ve been able to adjust and pivot.”
They could soon pivot again, as Uber and Lyft vow to leave Minneapolis on May 1 following council’s decision to require rideshare companies to raise driver pay. Sonbol says he’s getting more inquiries from drivers looking for work.
“We know a lot of drivers at Uber and Lyft, and they’ve asked us if they can come board if this happens, and we’ve said, ‘Look, let’s just wait and see what happens,'” Sonbol said.
With Council Member Andrea Jenkins saying she’d reconsider the ordinance, and a possible vote on April 11, Sonbol says he doubts the companies will leave, but says Blue & White is prepared to hire drivers if they do leave.
“Within a day, we would be able to add between 50 to 75,” he said. “It would still be their own vehicles. They’d just need to download our driver app. For us, the only difference is we’d want to put cameras in their cars.”
He says the cameras would help ensure drivers are properly serving customers, and that the footage isn’t shared.
Blue & White doesn’t own any of its cars. They’re owned by independent owner operators, and some cars have two drivers. Before COVID, Blue & White had 330 active cars at all times. Its lowest point during the pandemic was 91 vehicles. Sonbol says they now maintain a level of 250 cars.
Sonbol says another way the company has been able to pivot is by tapping into “account business” when other cab companies were big on cash business. He also attributed Blue & White’s ability to “stay in the game” to student services, and its high employee retention rate.
Blue & White’s app, called Ride Sure, works similarly to Uber and Lyft’s apps.
“Driver’s name, the plate number … you’ll see the progress of the car on your home screen,” Sonbol said.
He says the main difference is driver pay.
“Whatever rate you see you’re paying in the app to that driver, they get that rate,” he said. “We would just take a flat fee. Outside of a credit card processing fee that we charge, they get 95% of it, whereas these guys now, they’re getting around 45-55% of the fare depending on how the algorithm works for Uber or Lyft. So yeah, they would be making more money because our overhead isn’t — we don’t have expensive systems to run. We don’t have high salaries to pay for. We don’t have lawsuits all over the world we have to pay for either. So our costs aren’t the same as theirs.”
Council Member Robin Wonsley’s aide says at least three rideshare companies are pursuing licenses to try to come to Minneapolis.
As for taxi companies, a city spokesperson says there haven’t been any new requests for licenses since council overrode Mayor Jacob Frey’s veto of the ordinance’s original passage. While it would take 2-6 weeks for a taxi company to obtain a license to operate in Minneapolis, individuals can get a taxi driver permit the same day if they meet requirements and are working with a taxi company licensed in Minneapolis.
The mayor’s office sent an update Monday saying Mayor Frey is meeting with key stakeholders to prepare for Uber and Lyft’s departure, and to discuss the economic impact.
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Gov. Tim Walz took a break from the campaign trail to watch his old football team in action.
MANKATO, Minn. — People poured into Blakeslee Stadium on the Minnesota State Mankato campus Friday to see a clash between crosstown rivals Mankato West and Mankato East. Added to the mix was an appearance by Governor Tim Walz, who came to take a stroll down memory lane.
“I was lucky enough to have both Mr. Walz and Mrs. Walz as teachers,” Jimmy Baker, a Mankato West alum told KARE. “They started at West my freshman year, so they just as much a part of this place as I am.”
Baker played linebacker and running back on the Scarlets’ 1999 state championship team, with Tim Walz as his defensive coordinator. Walz was a social studies teacher at the time and his wife Gwen taught English and literature.
“He just really loved football, and he really felt passionate about the gameplay, and he gets really pumped up by good plays, and he was really good at redirecting and getting everyone on the same page,” Baker recalled.
Baker was one of the Mankato alums who took the stage wearing their Scarlet jerseys during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. It was part of the DNC’s overall effort to reinforce the “Coach Walz” theme for their vice-presidential candidate.
“I don’t really follow politics as closely as some, but it was very surreal to be there on that stage,” Baker recalled.
“It was pretty amazing to do that and also be able to do it with some of my oldest friends was probably the best part.”
As soon as Walz joined the Kamala Harris ticket in early August many former students of Gov. Walz and First Lady Gwen Walz have come forward to share their stories with the media of what it was like to be in their classroom decades ago.
At a State Capitol press conference, former student and football player Nate Hood from the Class of 2002 said Walz made a point of ensuring second-stringers got some playing time.
“Coach Walz brings me over and he was like, ‘Hood, what’s’ the score?’ I said, ‘Zero to 34, we’re down.’ He goes, ‘Alright! You can get in there!”
Walz taught social studies at Mankato West for nine years and served as defensive coordinator and assistant coach for the Scarlets until retiring to run for Congress in 2006.
Not everyone was thrilled with Walz’s appearance at Friday night’s game. Former Rep. Jeremy Munson of Lake Crystal said the Secret Service security measures would be inconvenient for families looking to enjoy the game.
“It’s upsetting to a lot of the parents to have this turned into a political event, by bringing the Secret Service, and I understand that’s the position he’s in as a candidate he has to have that security.”
Munson and others have commissioned a plane to fly over the stadium before the game with a banner that read “Bench Coach Walz – Trump 2024.”
The plane never made it to its destination. Munson later explained that the plane with the banner took off but was instructed by the control tower to return to the airport a few minutes later.
Jimmy Baker, who now has children of his own at Mankato West, said he thinks it’s great to see Mankato’s big game in the spotlight. He said he believes Gov. Walz and the First Lady have every right to see the big game.
“They’re as much a part of the community as anyone else. Whatever they’re at, or whatever they’re doing, they absolutely belong here!”
Wendell Epps and Charles Hallman agree Thursday’s game was unlike anything they’ve ever seen… or covered.
MINNEAPOLIS — A security camera inside Minneapolis’ A Bar of Their Own looked as if it would fall from the ceiling on Thursday night, as Minnesota Lynx fans erupted in celebration during the team’s historic comeback in Game One of the WNBA Finals.
It was one of several fan reaction videos that spoke to the joy and pandemonium that unfolded in the final seconds of regulation and throughout overtime, as the Lynx clawed back from an improbable 15-point deficit with less than six minutes to play in regulation.
That joy wasn’t just coming from fans.
Wendell Epps, the 23-year-old, first-year play-by-play announcer for the Minnesota Lynx Radio Network, had some of the best seats in the house for all the unforgettable plays, and his selfie-style recording of his final calls captured the chaos that unfolded in New York.
“It was absolutely insane,” Epps said. “I mean, this is my first, big-boy play-by-play job and to have that opportunity was really cool and it was a surreal experience. I loved it.”
Just thinking about it made Charles Hallman, a Hall of Fame sportswriter for the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, laugh.
“That young man… just think, this is his first year calling WNBA games and he’s in the Finals,” Hallman said, with a loud laugh.
Charles Hallman is on the other end of the spectrum… the basketball writer says it’s also one of the best games he’s ever seen… and he had to watch from his living room.
Charles Hallman: “I watched on an easy chair and I was on the edge of my seat.”
Kent Edahl: “I’m guessing you were NOT at the edge of your seat after that shot by Courtney Williams.”
Hallman: “Haha, no, I fell backwards! I fell backwards like she fell when she got fouled.”
Though he is no stranger to covering the Lynx in the WNBA Finals, Hallman said this run has stood out.
Hallman: “If they win this, this will be a very unique, unique championship.”
Erdahl: “What do you think makes this run special?”
Hallman: “This team, literally, just came together this year, that just shows you the great coaching job of Cheryl Reeve, who don’t get a lot of credit for what she does, and how these players grasp on to her. The chemistry of this team is just… for professional sports is very impressive. They just love to play together.”
“I just think we have a lot of players who have kind of flown under the radar,” Epps said. “Even Napheesa Collier, our best player, is probably the most underrated superstar in any professional sports league.”
And the fact that the Lynx were able to bite back in the Big Apple makes it even sweeter.
“Literally, every time out I would see a different celebrity pop up on the jumbotron,” Epps said.
“I’m glad that America got to see the Lynx play if they haven’t seen them play all year, that was a fantastic, an instant classic,” Hallman said. “I mean, to see the Lynx on the front page of the paper today. You don’t see that very often. For somebody that’s been covering the sport for as long as I have. That’s something that I love to see, and I’d love to see that more because women’s sports deserves to get that kind of praise.” added Epps.
MnDOT and airport officials say travelers should plan ahead if traveling on Interstate 494 this weekend.
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — Whenever you see orange, you know road construction isn’t far away.
On Interstate 494 in Bloomington, orange cones are everywhere, warning drivers of what’s coming this weekend.
“My recommendation is to use our detour route and plan ahead,” MnDOT spokesperson Jesse Johnson says.
MnDOT says starting Friday night at 10, I-494 will be closed to eastbound traffic from Highway 100 to Highway 77.
MnDOT recommends taking the detour at Highway 100, going North to 62 and back down on Highway 77 before rejoining I-494 when the closure ends.
For westbound traffic, the closure on I-494 goes from 35W to Highway 100.
Once again, MnDOT recommends a detour of going up to 62 and then getting back on I-494 after the closure is over.
Michael Schommer with MSP says travelers who have flights this weekend should expect some delays.
He recommends getting to the airport early just in case.
“Generally, that means trying to arrive at the airport no less than two hours before a domestic flight and three hours before an international flight,” Schommer says.
A spokesperson with the Mall of America says despite the construction, they still expect to see a lot of visitors this weekend.
The Mall of America released this statement regarding the 494 closure this weekend:
Over the past three decades, we have experienced many road construction projects. We have found a little extra windshield time doesn’t stop our shopping and entertainment enthusiasts from coming to see us. There are multiple access points to the Mall from major roadways making it easy for everyone to get here. We have a lot of exciting events and activations throughout the season, and we look forward to welcoming our guests.
MnDOT says the closure this weekend is just one part of a multi-year effort to reduce congestion on 494.
In the short term yes, drivers will experience some slowdowns, but MnDOT is hoping to build a better commute that should benefit drivers in the long-term.
“It’s challenging in the moment, but certainly we will see those benefits when the project is done,” Johnson says.
MnDOT says an almost identical weekend road closure will happen two weeks from now.
The closure will begin at 10:00 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 25, and end at 5 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 28.
For more information visit 511mn.org
