Boosterism for car-sharing runs high. Users pay less in parking and insurance and love the extra pocket change.
"Most car-sharing services stress their convenience and low costs, but advocates see car sharing as a partial antidote to a host of urban ills, especially congestion and pollution. Every shared vehicle replaces at least five and as many as 15 private vehicles, according to a recent report by the National Academies of Sciences."
"Car sharing seems to work best, at least as a commercial venture, in congested areas with good public transit. The typical user is one who walks, bikes or uses transit for most purposes, but occasionally needs wheels for errands or short trips."
"More than two dozen such agencies now offer shared-vehicle services in the United States and Canada, according to car-sharing expert Susan Shaheen, with more in the works. The number of users rose 46% in 2005 to more than 100,000, says Shaheen, research leader for the California Partners for Advanced Transit and Highways Program, and had climbed to about 118,000 as of June."
"Every month, enrollments at Zipcar have doubled compared to the previous year, says CEO Scott Griffith. As of August, Zipcar claimed 65,000 active members nationwide. In some neighborhoods in New York and Boston, Griffith says, one out of 10 adults over 21 is a Zipcar member."
Thanks to D. A. Varnado, AICP
FULL STORY: Should you share a car?

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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