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Portland to let streetcar benches and shelters be included in future advertising contracts
Summary
A proposed ordinance would amend city code to allow advertising on Portland Streetcar benches and shelters, aligning the code with current ownership and enabling the city to include streetcar infrastructure in upcoming advertising contracts; PBOT says it won’t change service or Trimet’s authority.
The Public Works Committee heard a proposal to amend City Code Chapter 17.45 so the city can include Portland Streetcar benches and shelters in future advertising contracts. PBOT officials said the change is a technical update that reflects the streetcar’s growth and clarifies that city-owned streetcar shelters may be advertised in upcoming contracts.
PBOT Chief of Staff Rich Eisenhower told the committee the amendment “would update that code to include streetcar in the code language,” and emphasized the change would not alter TriMet’s existing authority. He said the streetcar system is city-owned and that the amendment would enable the city to include shelters and benches in a new contract being procured this year.
The bureau said current advertising efforts include vehicle wraps and sponsorships and that an RFP is already open to identify a vendor for future advertising services. PBOT does not expect the amendment itself to change streetcar service or require new maintenance; advertising content and standards would continue to be governed by advertising contracts and applicable law.
Councilors questioned whether any new revenue would remain with the streetcar system (Eisenhower: “It will stay with the streetcar system to help pay for operations”), whether the city could piggyback on TriMet’s contract (PBOT: the agencies issued a joint RFP and are coordinating but will hold separate contracts), and whether content restrictions (for example, tobacco or political ads) would apply (PBOT noted legal limits on regulating ad content and said the exact contract language would frame allowable content and that the bureau would report back with specifics).
PBOT provided an overview of the current minimum annual guarantee in its existing contract ($350,000 historically) and said it has not historically exceeded that amount; bureau staff expressed hope that expanding advertising inventory could attract more advertisers over time. Councilors asked PBOT to return with the policy and contract language that governs content restrictions.
The committee treated the item as informational at this meeting and requested follow-up material; no formal committee action on the ordinance was taken today. PBOT said it will continue coordinating with TriMet as the procurement proceeds.
The committee’s next meeting is set for July 14, when PBOT and other bureaus may return with updated materials or next steps.
