Item Number:      8a_motion 
Meeting Date:   May 28, 2019 


1                                                     MOTION 2019-03: 
2                                     A MOTION OF THE PORT OF SEATTLE COMMISSION 
3 
4                           establishing  a  two-year  pilot  program  for  On-Demand
5                           Taxi/Flat-Rate    For-Hire    Service    at    Seattle-Tacoma 
6                           International Airport. 
7 
8                                                         PROPOSED 
9                                                       MAY 28, 2019 
10 
11                                                 INTRODUCTION 
12 
13    The Port of Seattle has utilized exclusive agreements to provide on-demand taxi and for-hire
14    ground transportation services at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport for many years.  The
15    current agreement with the exclusive provider expires September 30, 2019. Port staff has
16    explored new options for service and recommend  a pilot program based on the policy
17    framework of guiding principles for ground transportation services at Sea-Tac.  These guiding
18    principles are to support customer choice; provide social equity; ensure accessibility; generate
19    revenue  for  a  sustainable  airport,  while  reducing  environmental  impact  and  roadway
20    congestion. 
21 
22    The recommended approach balances equity issues, existing environmental and congestion
23    relief goals, and a minimum level of revenue to the Port.  During the two-year pilot program,
24    Port staff will further study a broad-based program across all surface transportation modes at
25    the airport. 
26 
27    The Port of Seattle Commission is committed to making Sea-Tac the most accessible airport in
28    the nation. With continued passenger growth at Sea-Tac, increasing population in the County,
29    and an aging population, the Port of Seattle must ensure reliable, predictable and high-quality
30    wheelchair accessible services at Sea-Tac. 
31 
32    To support this new relationship with the industry, the Commission finds that both the Port and
33    the on-demand taxi/flat-rate for-hire owner and operator community will benefit from a
34    facilitated  relationship  that  highlights  driver  voices  and  establishes  direct  and  regular
35    communication and consultation on operation of the on-demand transportation system. The
36    input received can help resolve the day-to-day issues that arise and inform the development
37    and outcomes of the pilot project. 
38 


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39                                              TEXT OF THE MOTION 
40 
41    The Port Commission hereby directs the Executive Director to establish a two-year pilot
42    program for On-Demand Taxi/Flat-Rate For-Hire Service at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
43    to include the following elements: 
44 
45          (1)   Vehicle owners currently offering on-demand taxi and flat-rate for-hire services will
46                be retained during the pilot program through September 30, 2021. 
47 
48          (2)   The number of wheelchair-accessible vehicles shall be increased from 18 to 23.
49                Additional wheelchair-vehicle operators will be chosen by lottery. The total number
50                of vehicles will be limited to no more than 410. 
51 
52          (3)   Permits for every vehicle/owner(s) will be issued by the Port of Seattle and will not
53                be transferable. 
54 
55          (4)   Owners may associate with any dispatch company. 
56 
57          (5)   The Port will collect an all-inclusive, per-trip fee of $6/trip. 
58 
59        (6) The  Port  will  contract  separately  for  curb  management  services,  which  includes
60            passenger loading assistance, holding lot and queue management, equal access to
61            rotation  of  shifts  among  on-demand  operators  as  outlined  in  current  operating
62            procedures,  and  oversight  of   adherence  to  vehicle  and  operating  rules  and
63            requirements by owners/drivers. 
64 
65          (7)   The Executive Director shall report to the Commission within 30 days of adoption of
66                this motion on airport signage, physical accessibility and wayfinding (both digital and
67                print formats) to ground-transportation services for disabled passengers, and the
68                status of implementation of the primary recommendations of the 2017 Open Doors
69                report. 
70 
71          (8)   The Port shall develop a reporting system with the ground-transportation curbside
72                manager  to  compile  records  of  complaints  and  other  service  comments  for
73                operations within the airport, including information on actions taken in response to
74                complaints and comments. 
75 
76          (9)   The Port will work with King County to install signage in vehicles operating in the
77                airport on-demand fleet that lists contact information for reporting of complaints
78                and other service comments directly to the Port and assure that all complaints are
79                reported to the Port of Seattle.
80 
81          (10)  There shall be quarterly outreach to owners and drivers for feedback and input on
82                the pilot program. 

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83 
84          (11)  The curbside manager will track and maintain records of the following: 
85                a)  Wait time sampling of vehicle pick-ups 
86                b)  Number of accessible trips and wait times 
87                c)  Number of trips per operator 
88                d)  Complaints lodged against operators and disposition 
89                e)  Passenger service comments 
90 
91       (12) The Executive Director shall report to the Commission on the operation of the pilot
92            program, including customer service and provision of accessible services, and any
93            recommendations for revisions, in one year from adoption of this motion. 
94 
95       (13) To improve accessible services, the Port will develop a plan for wheelchair-accessible
96            transportation services at the airport to increase awareness and use of the on-demand
97            fleet and conduct research on potential improvements of accessible transportation
98            services to and from the airport, including collection of data on pre-arranged airport
99            transportation services. 
100 
101       (14) The Commission directs the Port of Seattle Executive Director to engage with the on-
102            demand  taxi/flat-rate  for-hire  owner  and  operator  community  at  Seattle-Tacoma
103            International Airport to develop an agreement or memorandum of understanding that
104            will recognize a voluntary organization with at least five years of experience as a not-for-
105            profit organization operating in the state of Washington, that has an established process
106            for worker involvement in decision making, and that can demonstrate support of at
107            least 60 percent of operators included in the pilot project. 
108 
109       (15) The voluntary organization and the Port, along with other interested drivers and
110            owners, will explore the development of a process, available to all drivers and owners,
111            for input on the pilot program on items such as performance of the permit relationship
112            between the Port, its curbside manager, and the owner/driver community, including
113            scheduling, compliance, dispute resolution, and other issues related to management of
114            the system. 
115 
116                                    STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF THE MOTION 
117 
118    The Port has extensively researched options for on-demand systems at the airport. The Port
119    conducted  and  participated  in  three  major  multi-year,  consultant-supported  Ground
120    Transportation studies from 2015-2018 (Leigh Fisher  2015, Transportation Research Board  
121    2015, Ricondo  2017/2018). The Leigh Fisher and Ricondo work were supported by significant
122    stakeholder outreach and identified best practices for ground transportation models across the
123    country and included recommendations for Sea-Tac Airport. 
124 
125    The  Port  also  held  three  public  presentations  on  October  25,  2018,  and  two  public
126    presentations on February 15 and one on February 28, 2019. Stakeholder representation

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127    included  multiple  owner-operators,  drivers,  transportation  network  companies  (TNCs,  or
128    rideshares), dispatch companies, Teamsters, and other industry representatives. 



















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