City adopts rules to enable ridesharing in Corvallis

The Corvallis City Council voted unanimously on Sept. 18 to approve a new ordinance to the Corvallis Municipal Code, paving the way for ridesharing services such as Uber and Lyft to operate in the City.

The ordinance repealed the City's old rules governing taxi cabs, which dated back to the 1980s, and enacted an updated policy with information specific to modern ridesharing services in addition to taxi cab companies.

The City Council's action this week will permit ridesharing companies to begin operating immediately in Corvallis. The action corresponds with the beginning of the fall term at Oregon State University. Student representatives from Associated Students of Oregon State University, the university's student government, have advocated in favor of changing the Municipal Code to allow ridesharing services to operate in Corvallis.

The Corvallis ordinance was modeled on similar legislation that has been rolled out in cities throughout Oregon, including Bend and Salem. Common requirements for ridesharing companies include specific insurance thresholds, thorough record-keeping on drivers and rules to differentiate their services from traditional taxi cab companies. The Corvallis ordinance included a provision allowing the City to audit each licensed ridesharing company twice a year.

Ridesharing companies are eligible to apply for a license by contacting the Corvallis Police Department.