New green businesses that have garnished small success in major metropolitan areas are car sharing cooperatives. Hertz is taking on car sharing in its new rental programs. “With Hertz, if you don’t use a car, you don’t pay – perfect for those new to car-sharing, and car owners who want the convenience of car-share type rentals away from home.” 1says Mark Vanhoenacker of the New York Times. Car sharing isn’t new it has its roots in metropolitan cities from Montreal to Australia. Car sharing supplies transportation for anyone who qualifies for membership and requires minimal investment.
Car sharing has focused on expanding into college campuses. If your gas guzzler is sitting in your driveway; this news may not please you. Car sharing programs have grown in the past decade. These member programs provide automobiles at a fraction of the cost of car ownership. Members pay small fees for the use of any available vehicle at stations around the metro area. These fees include gas and insurance. One example of a car sharing company, Zipcar, offers service in more than 50 cities in the United States. The potential for changing how global citizens move in our world has challenged the auto industry to prepare better green vehicle options.
Car share is a growing international trend throughout the U.K., Canada, Australia and the United States. As global communities become more sensitive to the effect of transportation on the environment, these social vehicle sharing programs continue to spread throughout more populated areas. This sharing of a high cost business expense is prized by educational campuses, or any business with several locations around a metro area. In a recent blog entry Jenna Johnson, of the Washington Post, details options for campuses that encourage use of alternative forms of transportation. Among these are making parking spaces scarce, the elimination of bus fares, and adding bicycle racks. 2 Car sharing is encouraged by some campuses, but members need to feel they are actively engaged in protecting the environment, and making intelligent transportation choices.
Many students expect transportation services that are effectively solving environmental concerns. Green machines in the cooperative appeal to the ideal of sustainable ownership. Celebrating the freedom to explore with car cooperatives appeals to many students, who typically arrive at college for only short durations before leaving the area. Car sharers lose any additional hassles with car ownership; maintaining vehicles, filling the gas tank, or negotiating insurance.
The added flexibility of group ownership logically agrees with many transportation dependent businesses such as city officials, public schools, hospitals. However, the options for members to choose other traditional vehicles (vans, trucks, sedans) within the car share cooperative remain open. Getting a larger vehicle for specific needs is another possibility. Car share companies reduce unnecessary equipment through consolidation. Technology supports the green car share business with an on-board feedback system to gauge mileage and fuel economy. The green car share encourages reduction of costs through automated reservation systems. Each lot with car share vehicles is inventoried and maintained online. Some car share programs allow access to the vehicles with a wireless phone signal.
Sustainable car shares operate with the assistance of other nonprofit, or government groups. A car share business that promotes opportunities for communities to choose environmentally friendly transportation, then aligns with the ideals of creating a change in toxic transportation patterns.
“The U.S. transportation sector as a whole is responsible for about 32 percent of U.S. CO2 emissions, and almost nine percent of the world’s total CO2 emissions. ” according to the New Transportation Charter of the Surface Transportation Policy Project. 3 The pollution from cars affects water, air and wildlife habits. How difficult could it be to share transportation, and remember to take out any trash before returning it?
1 Mark Vanhoenacker, New york times, TransitBlog
2 Jenna Johnson, The Washington Post, Campus Overload
3Transact.org, Surface Transportation Policy Project, Transact