The Chamber and a broad coalition of Portland’s most prominent business and cultural organizations has sent a letter to Portland City Council urging them to reject any proposal that would impose a take rate or earnings mandate on rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft.
The letter, signed by the Portland Metro Chamber — which represents 2,300 member businesses — and the We Play for Portland Coalition, cautions that while driver compensation is a worthy goal, policies that significantly raise operating costs for rideshare companies could backfire. Coalition members include the Portland Trail Blazers, Portland Timbers, Travel Portland, the Oregon Symphony, Oregon Ballet Theatre, and Portland Opera.
Why It Matters
Rideshare services have become essential infrastructure for Portland’s economy, connecting residents, workers, and visitors to jobs, restaurants, hotels, and cultural venues — especially on evenings and weekends when public transit options are limited. Many of the city’s most beloved venues have little to no on-site parking, making reliable rideshare access critical for attendance at games, concerts, and performances.
The letter points to examples from other cities like in Seattle, where a similar earnings standard caused fares to rise roughly 40 percent and demand to drop sharply, and in Austin, where rideshare companies exited the market entirely until policies were reversed.
Portland risks a similar or more severe outcome, given the cumulative impact from recent fee increases that have already made this one of the most expensive rideshare markets in the country.
The Potential Impact on Portland
If rideshare companies were to scale back or leave the Portland market, the consequences for the local business community could be significant, including reduced attendance at major events, a drop in tourism and visitor spending, operational challenges for venues and arts organizations, and public safety risks from fewer late-night transportation options.
This proposal comes at a time when affordability and access to transportation are already under strain. Rather than layering additional costs, the city should be focused on expanding mobility options and supporting the systems that connect people to opportunity.
The coalition is calling on the city to pursue a transparent, data-driven process with full stakeholder input before advancing any policy — and stresses that supporting driver pay and preserving affordable, accessible transportation don’t have to be competing goals.
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