Carson council directs staff to return with split plan after heated debate over DollarRide contract

The Carson City Council on Oct. 21 stopped short of immediately awarding the city’s DollarRide paratransit contract to Uber Technologies Inc., instead directing staff to prepare revised contract proposals that would split service between two providers and return to the council for consideration.

The move follows a contentious discussion in which city staff recommended Uber as the single contractor after a request-for-proposals process produced competing bids from Uber and from ASC/Yellow Cab. Supporters of keeping Yellow Cab’s role — including several residents who said they rely on the service because drivers know their needs — pressed the council to preserve a local taxi option and not replace long-standing relationships with a phone-app model.

Why this matters: DollarRide provides curb-to-curb and demand-response transportation for older adults and riders with disabilities. Riders and disability advocates told the council the program’s reliability and drivers’ familiarity with riders’ specific needs matter as much as technology or cost. Council members also stressed the city must avoid a service gap while new procurement work is completed.

Staff presentation and public comments

Marco So, representing ASC, told the council ASC operates broadly across Los Angeles County and proposed a technical integration model with Uber that would prioritize local taxis and fallback to Uber’s platform only when no taxi is assigned in a set time window. “ASC’s call center continues to take all trip orders…Trips are first offered to ASC taxicabs,” So said, arguing the model preserves local drivers while closing coverage gaps.

Two regular DollarRide users made the case for keeping Yellow Cab in the mix. Luz Padua, a visually impaired resident who uses multiple ride services, said she prefers calling Yellow Cab because drivers know her and can assist with bags and boarding: “As a person with a disability with a visual impairment, I would much rather have a DollarRide with Yellow Cab currently where I can call it in versus having to struggle with my phone.” Brandy Murdock, speaking for members of the disabled community, urged the council to expand the disabilities commission and to preserve service that “knows them personally, but often go above and beyond to provide assistance.”

Council debate and action

Councilmember Joanne Hilton opened the council discussion saying she supported staff’s recommendation but asked staff to limit any initial award to a shorter term so the city could rebid to allow multiple providers. Mayor Lula Davis Holmes seconded the approach of giving staff time to produce a longer-term solution while avoiding a service gap.

A substitute motion — approved unanimously by roll call — directed staff to return to council with revised contract drafts that would bifurcate the DollarRide service between two vendors and to bring that package back for council action at the next regular meeting (council discussion referenced November 18). The substitute motion carried on a roll-call vote recorded as: Dear — yes; Hicks — yes; Hilton — yes; Rojas — yes; Mayor Davis Holmes — yes.

Council instructions included flexibility to terminate any short-term contract with 30 days notice if performance problems arise during the interim, and repeated direction to staff to craft procurement documents and contract language that preserve local drivers’ roles, ensure accessibility for people who cannot easily use smartphone apps, and minimize the risk of interruptions to service.

What the record shows and what it does not

Staff told council members that Uber had been judged the most responsive proposer under the evaluation criteria used for the RFP; ASC/Yellow Cab representatives asked for parity and described an ASC–Uber joint proposal that would prioritize local taxis. No formal sole-source contract was signed at this meeting. Instead the council gave staff direction to return with two-contract options so residents could have more than one provider in the City’s program.

Next steps

City staff will return with contract drafts for two providers and proposed allocation or operational rules to govern how trip requests are assigned. Council members signaled they expect the revised proposals to spell out: 1) how phone-based trip booking will work for people who cannot use smartphone apps; 2) whether and how local taxi drivers remain the first option for dispatch; 3) termination and performance remedies; and 4) an expedited schedule so services remain continuous.

Ending

The substitute motion passed unanimously, giving staff direction to pursue a dual-provider approach and to return with contract documents and a recommended implementation plan for council review.