Assembly panel reviews proposed Title 11 overhaul to vehicle-for-hire rules, including smart meters and higher fare cap

Anchorage transportation staff on Feb. 13 presented proposed revisions to Anchorage Municipal Code Title 11 that would change how the city regulates taxis, tour vans and other vehicle-for-hire services.

Carrie Dalton, of the Transportation Inspection Division, said the ordinance package would clarify code language, remove state‑preempted provisions, require dispatch systems to use digital “smart” taximeters, strengthen enforcement and recordkeeping, extend audio/video retention from 72 hours to five days and raise the maximum dispatch fare cap from $3 to $6.

Dalton told the Assembly the smart taximeter is a dispatch‑based application that uses GPS and can be updated centrally; she quoted industry vendors as saying implementation is largely a software change, “flipping the switch.” She said most smaller dispatch systems already use smart meters and that Yellow Cab has not expressed opposition but asked for time to train drivers.

The change to smart meters is framed in the draft ordinance as a way to reduce repeated on‑vehicle calibrations, lower municipal meter‑run costs after fare changes and enable quicker, systemwide rate updates. Dalton also said the ordinance would allow the Transportation Inspection (TI) office to seek permit enforcement between annual commission meetings when drivers or permit owners repeatedly violate code or have qualifying criminal convictions.

On evidence retention, staff said the proposed code would require both audio and video be kept for five days so the TI office can secure footage for complaints that arrive after weekends or holiday periods.

The package also proposes to repeal chapter AMC 11.45, the municipal TNC (Transportation Network Company) rules, because staff said that chapter is preempted by state law and no longer enforceable; Dalton named Uber and Lyft as examples of TNCs affected.

Council members pressed staff on several points: how the smart meter mandate differs from an operator choice; whether dispatchers could implement surge pricing; how driver input is incorporated into dispatcher rate‑setting; and the rationale for a $6 cap.

Dalton said dispatchers set fares under the cap and must give 30 days’ public notice before a rate change; she said surge pricing is not allowed under current code and that drivers have little formal mechanism to set dispatch prices. She described the $6 cap as a policy choice intended to give dispatchers and drivers room to absorb rising costs (insurance, fuel, vehicle replacement) and to avoid returning frequently to the Assembly to amend code if costs change.

Hans Burke (Transportation Commission) told the Assembly Uber and Lyft would not share fare data with the municipality, which limited the Commission’s ability to benchmark, and said the Commission chose $6 to reduce the need for annual code amendments.

Members raised questions about exemptions and carve‑outs. Staff said the Commission considered but rejected transferring oversight of certain tourism or 15‑passenger operators to the federal Department of Transportation because USDOT’s inspections focus on different vehicle classes and could leave passenger‑safety items unexamined. Courtesy shuttles provided by hotels were described as exempt because they are unpaid; staff warned that adding a fee to a shuttle could trigger regulation.

Members also asked about the permit fee and how it was calculated. Dalton said the TI division does not break down staff hours used to set fees and cited past numbers during the meeting record (2013 cited as $1,980; a 2017 figure was mentioned in the transcript but unclear; 2018 was cited in the transcript as $14.25). She said tourism operators typically use the six‑month seasonal permit (half the annual price) and that higher‑mileage vehicles (>200,000 miles) receive more frequent inspections.

No formal motion or vote was recorded during the discussion. Staff and commissioners agreed to continue reviewing the ordinance language and referenced additional legal and historical review about exemptions and fee calculations. The Assembly did not record a final outcome or set a specific date for a decision during the session.