The City and Borough of Sitka will introduce a proposed ordinance revising the regulation of commercial passenger transportation at the Assembly’s regular meeting on August 11, 2026. Ordinance No. 2026-20 would repeal the City’s existing “Taxicabs” chapter (Sitka General Code Chapter 6.30) and replace it with a new chapter titled “Commercial Passenger Vehicles.” This notice is provided for public information. The draft documents are available for review, and members of the public may provide comment as the ordinance moves through the legislative process.
The proposal follows concerns about commercial transportation raised over the past several years through Police and Fire Commission meetings and at a Town Hall on Commercial Transportation held July 18, 2023. Participants at those meetings identified a shortage of available drivers, particularly during evening and nighttime hours; gaps in service to and from the airport; differences in fares between operators; a permitting process described as a barrier to new drivers; and the absence of a framework for newer services such as tours, shuttles, and human-powered vehicles. The existing “Taxicabs” chapter has remained largely unchanged since the late 1990s.
The proposed ordinance would make the following principal changes:
- Establishes three service classes: Class A (taxis), Class B (tours, shuttles, and limousines), and Class C (human-powered vehicles such as pedicabs and bicycle taxis), placing all commercial passenger transport under one chapter.
- Removes certain duplicative local permitting and inspection requirements where the State already licenses or inspects.
- Establishes a zone-based flat-fare schedule for taxis, to be posted in each vehicle (Appendix A).
- Provides a fee reduction and a registration-fee waiver for wheelchair-accessible vehicles.
- Converts most violations from misdemeanors to civil infractions under a published fine schedule (Appendix B), with correction orders available for non-safety violations. Misdemeanor classification is retained for insurance violations.
The proposal reflects community engagement conducted since 2022, along with staff analysis and legal review.
How to Review the Draft Documents
Draft copies of the ordinance, the implementing regulations, the zone-based fare schedule (Appendix A), and the fine schedule (Appendix B) are available for public review online at www.cityofsitka.com/CPVOrdinance, or in person at Sitka City Hall, 100 Lincoln Street, during regular business hours. The public is invited to review the draft documents, submit written comments to the Assembly via email at [email protected], and attend the August 11 meeting. Additional opportunities for public testimony will be provided as the ordinance proceeds to public hearing.
Press release provided by the City of Sitka.
