CRACKING DOWN

Austin Rejects Uber Self-Regulation

Uber had threatened to leave if the proposal failed.

Voters in Austin, Texas voted against Proposition 1 on Saturday night, an initiative that would allow Uber and Lyft to self-regulate their drivers. Instead, they mandated stricter rules on the companies, who threatened to leave the city if the initiative did not pass. "The people have spoken tonight loud and clear," Austin Mayor Steve Adler said in a statement. "Uber and Lyft are welcome to stay in Austin, and I invite them to the table regardless. Austin is an innovative and creative city, and we'll need to be at our most creative and innovative now." Other cities have been trying to find ways to regulate the companies and Austin may prove to be their first blueprint.