Why own a car when you can share one?

Tomorrow I leave with my daughter Isabella and the cameraman of the documentary about the No Impact project on a 200-mile trip to my hometown of Westport, MA, a trip I haven't made for nearly a year because of the project. But now that the rule-based phase of the project is formally over, even my fairly stringent environmental conscience accepts that I occasionally have to visit my family, impact or no.

The bad news is that the dog sitter canceled at the last minute, which means I have to bring Frankie with me which means I can't take the train. That means that I'm going to drive. But there is a little bit of good news and to the actual point of this post: a method we can all use to reduce our reliance on cars.

According to a paper by the Victoria Transport Policy Institute:

Carsharing is an automobile rental service intended to substitute for private vehicle ownership. Carsharing emphasizes affordability and convenience. Vehicles are rented by hour, located near residences, and require minimal effort to check in and out. Carsharing services are common in some European countries and are increasing in North America. Carsharing gives consumers a practical alternative to owning a personal vehicle that is driven less than about 6,000 miles (10,000 kilometres) per year. Carsharing has lower fixed costs and higher variable costs than private vehicle ownership. This price structure makes occasional use of a vehicle affordable, even to low-income households. It also gives drivers an incentive to minimize their vehicle use and rely on other travel options as much as possible. Carsharing typically reduces average vehicle use by 40-60% among drivers who rely on it, making it an important transportation demand management strategy. [Emphasis is mine]

Car sharing is an environmentally friendlier alternative to car ownership because 10 to 20 households end up sharing the use of each vehicle, the per use costs of the vehicle is a deterrent to casual use (as opposed to actually owning the car), the comparatively lower costs of public transportation and walking and biking make them more attractive than car use. In fact, a study of a car sharing service in Portland, OR concluded that:

• 26% of members sold their personal vehicle after joining the organization.

• 53% of members avoided a vehicle purchase as a result of their membership.

• Members increased transit ridership, bicycle use and walking.

In other words, the idea of car sharing is that it allows people to get rid of their cars but still have occasional access to them, with the overall effect of lower reliance on automobiles. Plus, in my case, using Zipcar, I get to drive a Toyota Prius which gets 45 miles per gallon, making use of a car for my trip, since three people (and a dog) are traveling, about as efficient as the train.

Click here to find car sharing services near you (and don't forget to get rid of your car).

Comments

[Andy in Germany]

We've used a carshare in Stuttgart for a couple of years, as we don't want to own a car but we know we will need one occasionally. Fortunately in Germany it is part of a national network, so we could travel to another city by train (I'm not convinced that even a full prius is as energy effecient as a train) and book a car there if we needed to, but actually we only use it for occasional furniture shopping and the annual youth weekend.
One other benefit is financial: Instead of paying a fortune to just keep a car (which encourages you to use it more) you only pay for the car as you use it, and for that you get a fully insured and mainteined vehicle, the size and type you need. Also, if it breaks down terminally a week after I use it, I don't have to pay for repairs.

[stomv]

I live in Boston and my wife and I own two bicycles, one monthly subway pass, and zero cars. If we decide we want to travel to Burlington VT or Natick MA or Bloomfield NJ or Victor NY [all trips in the past few months], we just rent a car.

We don't ZipCar since we don't have much of a local need for a few hours; instead, we usually travel to see family for a few days and call Enterprise. The net result is less driving overall, less expenditures overall, less carbon overall.

[Andrea Case]

I know about a car service that uses all hybrid vehicles if you need that option. It's called NYC Green Car. Check it out at www.NYCgreencar.com.

[Nicole]

I'm a Zipcar member too, and I love it! Their cars are clean, tend toward gas efficiency, and when you add up everything (including gas) are very reasonable in terms of rates. Oh, and their customer service is excellent.

Have a wonderful trip!

[Rhea]

I am in the middle of getting rid of my car. Lucky for me, I am in Boston and have Zipcar. I also walk a lot and have a bike and have a neighbor who hardly uses his vehicle and wants me to share it. Cool!

[Laura Little]

Great idea! I just wish there were services like these in rural areas. There isn't even one in my whole state! And in rural areas is where it could make a real difference, both in terms of carbon and in terms of getting affordable transportation to the poor. In a lot of rural areas, public transportation just isn't an option.

[amy]

I live one town over from Westport MA and I think you can agree that car sharing would be pretty difficult in this neck of the woods. Great idea for urban areas, but around here you need a car to get pretty much anywhere.

[Eric]

Testimonial:

I've gone without a car for over two years now. I use ZipCar. I love it. I rue the day I may need to move somewhere without it or at least halfway decent public transportation. I don't WANT to own a car again!

[Elizabeth]

Zipcar and Flexcar, the two large carsharing companies in the US, have just announced a merger and plans to operate as Zipcar. I've been a Flexcar member for a little over a year in Washington, DC (sold my car!) and LOVE it. Though I chose Flexcar because they offered more hybrids than Zipcar (who focuses on "cool" cars), I'm hoping the merger will turn Zip a little bit greener.

I firmly believe that where carsharing programs are in place (admittedly they're only really feasible in urban areas... at least in the Flex/Zip model) they are having a very real positive impact on traffic, congestion, and pollution.

AND a very positive impact on my wallet -- I spend only $10-30/month for use of a car (including gas and insurance) for the rare errands I need to run with a car. I've probably convinced 5 of my (mid-20s) friends to give up their car and make the switch. Every one of them is happy!

[Nic]

Sadly, one of the only reasons I own a car is so that I can go mountain biking. Renting a car through these systems is not as cost effective when the car is sitting the majority of the time in the parking lot.

[Spacemom]

Unfortunately, this only works if you live in an urban or suburban area. We live outside of Boston and the PT and carsharing makes live difficult.

[emily]

Great post, Colin! My sister-in-law, who teaches high school in Germany and trains young teachers, has to drive about 3-4 times per week. She even uses Carsharing for that because renting a permanent parking space is unaffordable. The cost of parking is something that city residents might also consider, because you'd have to deal with it far less often if you used Zipcar. (Another example is that my sis, when living in San Francisco, paid almost as much to park her car as to rent an apt.)

[Karla]

Car sharing is AWESOME. I can't afford to own a car right now, and have relied on Vancouver's pretty-darn-good public transit system for the past 10 years, but it's not always that useful when I need to bring something big home from the store (a 50 lb box of cat litter, for example). Being a member of the Cooperative Auto Network has been an absolute godsend. There's a car parked 6 blocks from my house, and I get a car when I need one, but otherwise don't have to pay for it, and can share with the other people in my area. The rest of the time, I take the bus and Skytrain.

[truestitches]

I'm a member of the Vancouver Cooperative Auto Network as well and love it. We use a car once or twice a week, when my musician husband goes to band practise or has gigs. Other wise we're on bikes or bus.
I used to live in rural BC and there is one other transportation option that hasn't been mentioned yet - hitch hiking! When you're in a smaller community you tend to know your neighbours so safety concerns aren't really a problem. I (a 45 year old woman) hitch hiked regularly to go 30 kilometers into town. And when I have a car I pick up hitch hikers!

[stomv]

Nic:

You're more like me -- need a car occasionally for longer trips [time, not miles]. Consider just renting a car for the day.

It'll cost you $20-$50 depending on where you live. I admit that transporting a bicycle makes it more of a challenge; you may need to rent an SUV or find a rental with racks.

When compared with the cost of owning a car 30 days each month, it's a good deal!

[Pat Logan]

Is this somehow different from renting a car?

[Queen Whackamole]

What's with Amtrak's "NO DOGS" policy? If airplanes can do it, why can't Amtrak?

This is a serious obstacle for me as well, and has often forced car trips when I would have preferred the train.

[jane air]

Do you still want a dogsitter? Let me know if you do. I like dogs and have been a fan of the project for a while now.

[sociology]

When was the last time the website was updated? I clicked on Fort Wayne, Indiana and it sends me to a webpage that has no information on it. Does anyone know anything about this?

[Daughter]

Carsharing is different than renting a car because you can rent by the hour, rather than by day, if you need to. This is beneficial for people who need a car for a few hours to run errands once a week, as opposed to needing it to take a trip, when renting a car might be more feasible.

[emily]

I would be unhappy to see large dogs on Amtrak (small ones, kept in carry cases for the duration of the trip, would be fine). The problem for me would be that you might have trouble convincing a dog to sit tight and keep quiet for 5 hours. I like animals, but I do prefer not to share my space with them. The butting in, slobber, demand for attention, smell etc just get to me.

Maybe the "quiet car" (no cellphones is such a blessing) could also be the "dog-free car".

[Beth Terry]

Carsharing is different from renting for several reasons. The following list is based on my knowledge of Flexcar. Other companies may operate differently.

1) You don't have go to a car rental place and fill out paperwork each time you rent. Instead, you reserve the car online or via telephone and use your electronic ID to enter the car and begin and end your trip. Cars are parked in various locations throughout metro areas so that you can reserve the most convenient one.

2) You don't have to pay extra for gas (there's a gas card inside the car if you need to fill up) and insurance. They're included in the hourly rate.

3) You don't have to pay for a full day if you only need the car for a few hours.

I've been a Flexcar member for a couple of years and have not owned a car since 1988. Here in the SF Bay Area, we have great public transit.

Question for STOMV, what do you do if you need to move something large and heavy and can't do it with a bike? Paying for an hour or two through a carshare is much less expensive and less of a hassle than renting a car.

[Sarah]

Amy,

It is pretty much impossible to live in a rural area or a small town and not have a car. I grew up in a small town, though, and (not saying that you do this - if you read this blog I'm sure you don't) I find that people drive everywhere. All the time. My parents live in town, so my dad walks to run his errands and people comment on it all the time because it's so strange that he would walk a mile to the post office or to pick up some milk. It's getting so that in some suburban areas it's almost impossible to walk places - the only connections between parts of town are sidewalk-less highways. Ugh.

Nic,

Just curious - do you find a disconnect between the professed ethos of other outdoorsy people and the fact that they'll drive really long distances to do stuff? I know I've driven six hours in a day to go climbing, but I always feel apprehensive about it if I'm not spending a long time out after using all that gas...

[Jerilyn]

Is there any info on how to get a carsharing program started in one's town? Mine doesn't have one.

What's funny is that in one of the home churches I'm connected with, where we all live in community, well, in Atlanta, Georgia the church families do informal carsharing--they regularly just borrow each other's cars!!!

[Jennifer]

Jerilyn, I don't have any info per se, but here in Madison WI the Community Car program is a non-profit started by, I think I read somewhere, some individuals with municipal backing. And I think in the Bay Area CityCarShare started as a non-profit as well. Good luck!