
Template revised April 12, 2018.
COMMISSION
BACKGROUND MEMO
DATE: April 22, 2019
TO: Stephen P. Metruck, Executive Director
FROM: Michael Ehl, Director, Aviation Operations
Jeff Wolf, Senior Manager, Aviation Business Development
SUBJECT: Airport On-Demand Transportation Contract Options Briefing
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Port of Seattle is committed to providing quality customer service, reducing congestion,
and minimizing environmental impacts of vehicles at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-
Tac or Airport). One important type of transportation option for customers at Sea-Tac is
referred to as on-demand services, which accommodates deplaned passengers seeking
transportation to their destination, but who have not pre-arranged (reserved) prior to arrival at
Sea-Tac. Customers are accommodated simply by walking up to a vehicle for transportation.
The purpose of this briefing is to review with Commissioners options for on-demand
transportation services at Sea-Tac and to present the next steps to finalize and implement a
new pilot on-demand taxi/flat-rate for-hire system. The briefing will include a basic review of
various on-demand contracting options, guiding principles as part of the Port’s Ground
Transportation Access Plan (GTAP), review of recent stakeholder outreach information
pertaining to on-demand services at Sea-Tac, and recommend the next on-demand system
beginning October 1, 2019.
CURRENT CONTRACT AND OUTREACH EFFORTS
The Port currently uses an exclusive service, concession contract for on-demand taxi/flat-rate
for-hire transportation, a model used since 1989 at Sea-Tac. The current contract is with
Eastside For Hire and is in the final year of a three-year contract (commenced on October 1,
2016, and expires on September 30, 2019) but does include two, one-year extension options.
In anticipation of the expiration on September 30, 2019, this briefing will highlight the planning
process for on-demand transportation accommodation at Sea-Tac and to inform the
Commission of the next steps.
Port staff briefed the Commission on the Ground Transportation Access Plan (GTAP) on
September 25, 2018, which included review of guiding principles and ten key transportation
strategies to improve customer access to and from Sea-Tac. The intent of the guiding principles
is to establish the framework for staff to develop new ground-transportation-related contracts,
including the on-demand taxi/flat-rate for-hire system, which is the topic of this briefing.