Insurance Regulations Threaten Buffalo's Affordable Car Share Program

Because the cost of car share programs like Zipcar and Car2Go can be out of reach of some people who most need the benefits of automobile transportation, a non-profit in Buffalo, New York launched its own, more affordable car share service. Yet, as Jane Gottlieb reports, insurance problems are endangering the service.

Buffalo CarShare launched in 2008, thanks to the work of Michael Galligano. "At an average cost of $100 per month for membership and usage, it’s a relatively affordable way to rent a short-term ride," writes Gottlieb. "According to Galligano, half of the 900 Buffalo CarShare members earn less than $25,000 a year (though the company also has plenty of higher earners)."

Buffalo CarShare has attracted the financial support of the state's Department of Transportation and the Energy and Research Development Authority, which, according to Gottlieb, "awarded Buffalo CarShare $280,000 to replicate its model in other cities."

Yet it's the state's insurance regulations that threaten the ongoing existence of the program, unless a last minute intervention can save Buffalo CarShare when its current insurance policy expires on June 15. The article includes more detail about the state's insurance regulations and its potential impact on Buffalo CarShare and the people who depend on it.