Flexcar Exec Discusses The End Of Portland Subsidy

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.

1 minute read

July 6, 2006, 12:00 PM PDT

By Nate Berg


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."

Wednesday, July 5, 2006 in

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 30, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Close-up on Canadian flag with Canada Parliament building blurred in background.

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?

As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

April 28, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Hot air balloons rise over Downtown Boise with the State Capitol building visible amidst the high rises.

The Five Most-Changed American Cities

A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.

April 23, 2025 - GoodMigrations

People biking along beach path with moored ship in San Diego, California.

San Diego Adopts First Mobility Master Plan

The plan provides a comprehensive framework for making San Diego’s transportation network more multimodal, accessible, and sustainable.

May 2 - SD News

Sleeping in Public

Housing, Supportive Service Providers Brace for Federal Cuts

Organizations that provide housing assistance are tightening their purse strings and making plans for maintaining operations if federal funding dries up.

May 2 - KSL

Conductor walks down platform next to Amtrak train at station in San Jose, California.

Op-Ed: Why an Effective Passenger Rail Network Needs Government Involvement

An outdated rail network that privileges freight won’t be fixed by privatizing Amtrak.

May 2 - Streetsblog USA

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Senior Manager Operations, Urban Planning

New York City School Construction Authority

Building Inspector

Village of Glen Ellyn

Manager of Model Development

Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO