Rental Car Curbside
Assistance Contract
October 27, 2026
Port of Seattle Commission
Item no. 8h_supp
Meeting Date: October 27, 2026
Purpose
Request to Commission: Authorization for a new curbside assistance contract up to five years in duration (1st year
with four 1-year options) with a total contract value not to exceed $6 million.
Scope of Services
Rental car shuttle curbside assistants provide the
following services in support of rental car shuttle
operations at the Main Terminal and RCF:
• Baggage loading and unloading
• Queue management
• Passenger information and customer service
• Bus parking assistance and logistics
• ADA queuing
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Key Facts
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• Rental car shuttles serve over 5.2 million passengers annually
• Current contract expires in April 2027
• Curb assistance is available about 20 hours per day with season
variation.
• Curb assistance is a Customer Facility Charge-eligible expense,
related to the common busing operation: Current CFCs
$8.00/transaction day
• Supports 10+ full-time employees at the airport
• Consistent service since inception with exception in 2015.
Alternatives Analysis
Self-Perform Alternative Contract with 3
rd
Party Vendor
Estimated Wages, Benefits & OH $9.2M $6 M
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Alt #2: Self-Perform/In-house Alt #3: Contract with 3
rd
Party
Pros
• Internal management control over staff
performance and customer service standards
• Immediate and direct alignment with Port
priorities
Cons
• Substantive administrative burden on existing
operation, impacts on current staffing levels
• Potential new investments in staffing support
systems (dispatch and supervision)
• Increased expenditures compared to Alt #3
• Less flexibility with scaling staff levels, seasonality
• Potential impact to CFC funds
Pros
• Compatible with budget expenditures, forecast
CFC estimates and planned capital improvements
• Flexibility to change staffing levels swiftly with
seasonal variability
• Maintains consistent service standards and
accountability across all locations
Cons
• Transitioning to a new vendor can require
familiarization, vendor training, etc.
• Less direct control over staff performance and
customer service standards compared to Alt #2
Recommendation
• Alt #3: Contracted 3
rd
party service: provide sufficient funding to maintain
full-time curbside assistance schedule based on current operational needs
at the RCF and Main Terminal
– Addresses need for queue management and in-line customer service
– In-line with CFC budget expectation and expenditures
– Congruent with stakeholder expectations
– Consistent with customer service standards and expectations
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