Good News on Car Sharing

Car sharing networks that allow the vehicle to be returned to any location were found to have the impact of removing seven cars for each rented car in San Diego in a three-year study released July 19.

2 minute read

July 27, 2016, 11:00 AM PDT

By Irvin Dawid


Car Share

Jeff Whyte / Shutterstock

A new study, "Impacts of car2Go on Vehicle Ownership, Modal Shift, Vehicle Miles Traveled and Greenhouse Gas Emissions: An Analysis of Five North American Cities," by University of California, Berkeley Transportation Sustainability Research Center researchers Elliot Martin and Susan Shaheen, looked at the effects of car sharing in San Diego, Vancouver, Calgary, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.

"The study focused on car sharing offered by car2Go because that company allows people to pick up a car in one place and drop it off elsewhere, unlike some other car share providers that require cars to be picked up and dropped off in the same place," reports David Garrick for The San Diego Union-Tribune. "That allows commuters to use the network to eliminate the 'last mile' problem.

Sustainability

Car sharing is a key element of the city’s ambitious climate action plan, which aims to cut carbon emissions in half by 2035.

 Greater VMT reductions were found in Vancouver, Calgary, Seattle and Washington, D.C.

Increase sustainability by renting electric vehicles?

Car2go made San Diego the only North American city with an all-electric fleet when it launched service here five years ago, increasing the local network’s role in preventing pollution and greenhouse gases.

But company officials decided this spring that an electric model was unsustainable and switched all of their vehicles to gas-powered in May.

Last mile solution?

Interestingly, a post last year about Car2Go's expansion to Queens, N.Y asked, "Last Mile Solution or Congestion Nightmare?

"Some experts question how efficient Car2go will be at improving outer-borough mobility," reported Matthew Flamm for Crain's New York Business. "Richard Barone, director of transportation programs for the Regional Plan Association, thinks the service could help with the 'last mile' problem often found outside Manhattan, where people can live a long way from the nearest subway stop."

There's no reason to think that the results in New York City would be any different from the other four cities studied.

“Our exhaustive, three-year research effort into one-way carsharing reveals that car2go vehicles result in fewer privately-owned vehicles on the road, fewer vehicle miles traveled and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions,” said Susan Shaheen, Co-Director of TSRC in a UC Berkeley, Institute of Transportation Studies news release.

Participation from car2go and its members, the largest free-floating one-way carsharing service in North America, gave us unprecedented access and insight into how this kind of innovative mobility service is impacting North American cities.

Look for the results from another study by the Transportation Sustainability Research Center on the sustainability of transportation network (ride hailing) companies like Uber previously announced here.

Car2Go is a division of Daimler, a German multinational automotive corporation perhaps best known for its Mercedes-Benz vehicles.

Hat tip to Metro L.A. Transportation Headlines

Sunday, July 24, 2016 in The San Diego Union-Tribune

Sweeping view of Portland, Oregon with Mt. Hood in background against sunset sky.

Oregon Passes Exemption to Urban Growth Boundary

Cities have a one-time chance to acquire new land for development in a bid to increase housing supply and affordability.

March 12, 2024 - Housing Wire

Aerial view of green roofs with plants in Sydney, Australia.

Where Urban Design Is Headed in 2024

A forecast of likely trends in urban design and architecture.

March 10, 2024 - Daily Journal of Commerce

Cobblestone street with streetcar line, row of vintage streetlights on left, and colorful restaurant and shop awnings on right on River Street in Savannah, Georgia.

Savannah: A City of Planning Contrasts

From a human-scales, plaza-anchored grid to suburban sprawl, the oldest planned city in the United States has seen wildly different development patterns.

March 12, 2024 - Strong Towns

Aerial View of Chuckanut Drive and the Blanchard Bridge in the Skagit Valley.

Washington Tribes Receive Resilience Funding

The 28 grants support projects including relocation efforts as coastal communities face the growing impacts of climate change.

March 18 - The Seattle Times

Historic buildings in downtown Los Angeles with large "Pan American Lofts" sign on side of building.

Adaptive Reuse Bills Introduced in California Assembly

The legislation would expand eligibility for economic incentives and let cities loosen regulations to allow for more building conversions.

March 18 - Beverly Press

View from above of swan-shaped paddleboats with lights on around artesian fountain in Echo Park Lake with downtown Los Angeles skylien in background at twilight.

LA's Top Parks, Ranked

TimeOut just released its list of the top 26 parks in the L.A. area, which is home to some of the best green spaces around.

March 18 - TimeOut

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.