Bill Scott, director of the Flexcar car-sharing program in Portland, discusses the city's decision to end its subsidies to the company and to charge Flexcar for all the parking revenue the program denies the city.
The Portland City Council ruled unanimously to require Flexcar, a car-sharing company operating in the city, to reimburse Portland for lost parking revenue. The city claims that Flexcar is on the verge of turning a profit and that now is the time to end the subsidy it had provided. Another impetus is that the city's department of transportation desperately needs the funds.
"Flexcar will be charged for revenues the city loses by letting the private company park its vehicles for free in metered public spaces."
"The city calculates it loses up to $70,000 a year from this arrangement, by which about 30 percent of Flexcar spaces are located in metered spots. But Scott says that's a small price, given that a 2005 report by Portland's Department of Transportation concluded Flexcar receives a 'relatively modest subsidy' yet 'produces measurable public and environmental' benefits."
Read the full story: Q & A: Bill Scott
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