Uber is legal in Portland.



Five months after the San Francisco ride-hailing company started running cars in defiance of City Hall, Portland's elected officials legalized Uber and its top competitor, Lyft. Tonight's vote will allow the companies to begin operations as soon as this week.



Over the jeers and boos of taxi drivers, the City Council voted 3-2 to launch a four-month test program that green-lights Uber and Lyft while removing all price and car limits on the tightly-regulated cab industry.



The decision makes official a handshake deal that Mayor Charlie Hales struck with Uber managers in December. Hales pressured the company to leave town while promising to overhaul the city's rules for ride-hailing apps and taxis.



"The perfect is the enemy of the good," Hales said. "We should try something, and we should try this. I'm not sure we're getting it right, but we should start."