Eugene may soon charge taxis, Uber and Lyft 50 cents a ride

As the city of Eugene struggles with increasing costs, it may start collecting a 50 cent per-ride fee on taxis and ridesharing companies like Uber and Lyft.

Eugene started regulating rideshare companies in 2018, when it rolled out business licensing requirements. The city council authorized an additional per-ride fee that year — but has never collected it.

That might change soon.

Jeff Petry, the Curbside and Administrative Services Director, says Eugene could start collecting the fee now, but current code only allows them to spend the funds on their rideshare oversight program.

“The question really is should this trip fee be limited to what’s in the code right now, or could it be expanded for other uses,” he said.

According to the city, charging a 50 cent a ride fee would put Eugene in line with Springfield and Portland, which have similar fees.

He said the city council will decide whether to expand how the fee can be spent next month. It held a public hearing on the plan Sept. 16.

The fee would generate $350,000 a year, and is already accounted for in the Eugene’s most recent budget.

Petry said the fee will be used to cover the costs of administering its rideshare program and other transportation needs.