Transportation network companies, such as Uber and Lyft, have operated in Portland since 2015. The following year, we audited how the City regulated these companies and recommended better monitoring of the services they provided.

The Portland Bureau of Transportation has made some progress in implementing our eight recommendations. We consider three to be resolved, but work remains in analyzing company data for long wait times or disparities in wheelchair-accessible service.

On the plus side, the Bureau has updated the collision report form and uses this information to decide where to inspect cars. The Bureau also continues to conduct inspections in areas where bicyclists and pedestrians are at risk.

But we want to see renewed efforts by the Bureau in regularly analyzing data for service levels – including how many rides are happening, how long are wait times, and how many passengers don’t get a car they requested. The Bureau estimated there were 12 million rides in 2018 with an average wait time of six minutes, but more comprehensive analysis is needed. For example, the Bureau did not analyze whether there were disparities in wheelchair-accessible service.

For more detail, see our follow-up report. We will check back next year on the Bureau’s progress implementing the remaining recommendations. Stay tuned!

– Minh Dan Vuong, Senior Management Auditor