The transportation business community has been changing rapidly over the past decade,
and it is expected to continue making major advances in the near future. One CEO of a
transportation software developing company believes the majority of transportation in cities will
be autonomous shared vehicle platforms by as early as 2022.1
Due to the rapid changes, it will
be crucial for public transportation to remain relevant and competitive.
Private Transportation
Transportation evolution has led to a handful of new competitors in the private transportation
business environment. Today, the main private transportation models include: personally
owned ride-sharing, traditional rental cars, ride-sourcing, and commercially owned ride-sharing.
TriMet currently has a partnership with the ride-sharing company, Zipcar. However, we believe
it is essential for TriMet to consider each transportation model and business in order to
establish relationships that will cater to the needs of TriMet customers.
Recommendations
Transportation Partnerships
Establishing partnerships with companies that support last mile consumer needs is the main
priority when determining which services work best with TriMet’s traditional public transportation
system. We believe that TriMet should consider forming partnerships with multiple transportation
models in order to meet the varied needs of its customers. In addition, we recommend TriMet
form attractive partnership contracts to allow for future flexibility. These partners can include ridesourcing companies like car2go or corporate businesses like Intel or Nike.
Park and Ride Charging Structure
Currently, TriMet does not charge for their parking spaces at Park and Ride lots. Across
many of the Park and Rides, demand far exceeds supply, which allows for the possibility of
implementing a charging structure. We believe TriMet should consider charging for parking
spaces at the Park and Ride lots. The L.A. metro service recently introduced parking fees at
its Park and Ride equivalents. The information gained from this parking model supports our
recommendation of implementing a fee structure for Park and Ride lots
Read the final student report delivered to the local gov/community partner.
Sustainable City Year Program Contact Info
Megan Banks
Sustainable City Year Program Manager
mbanks@uoregon.edu
(541) 346-6395
University Faculty Contact
Joshua Skov
Management
Instructor of Management
jskov@uoregon.edu
541-346-9061
Local Government / Community Contact
Jeffrey Owen
TriMet
Senior Planner