Goals Set to Save Members $1 Billion and Electrify Fleet
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct 24, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) — On the occasion of its 10th Anniversary celebration, City CarShare, a Bay Area nonprofit carsharing organization, announced its goal to remove 20,000 cars from our roads by 2020. In the presence of Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, local and state elected officials and nearly 400 members and friends, City CarShare outlined aggressive goals designed to make the Bay Area become a better place to live, work, breathe, and play.
“City CarShare exists to help local communities reach their environmental and social objectives,” said City CarShare CEO, Rick Hutchinson. “By setting the bar high, we’ve established a commitment to the Bay Area to reduce CO2 and congestion while saving people thousands of dollars each year in transportation costs.”
In addition to its “20,000 by 2020″ goal, City CarShare (CCS) also announced goals to save members $1 billion over the cost of car ownership by the year 2020, and achieve a fleet-mix of 50% electric-based or alternative fuel vehicles in 2015.
“City CarShare works– it is convenient and cost-saving for individuals and organizations. It decreases pollution and saves energy in the community. My office has a membership and we rely on it for those times we need a car,” said State Senator Loni Hancock. “We are looking forward to seeing them grow and we wish them well.”
City CarShare’s goal to remove 20,000 cars from Bay Area roads by 2020 is based on research that shows carsharing reduces ‘vehicles on the road’ by replacing up to 15 personally owned vehicles with one shared car, and CCS members reduce driving by up to 49% after joining. The impact of 20,000 fewer cars driving is the equivalent of every lane of the Golden Gate Bridge lined with cars bumper to bumper, multiplied by six.
City CarShare will achieve its “50% electric/alternative” goal by officially launching its “eFleet Program” in 2011, introducing more plug-ins (there are 2 in its fleet now) and full battery electric vehicles as a complement to CCS’s fleet of hybrids and highly fuel and emission efficient vehicles. Through support by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and the cities of San Francisco, Berkeley, and Oakland, City CarShare will add electric-based vehicles and infrastructure to support the electrification of the Bay Area. CCS’s program will expose tens of thousand of members to electric vehicles.
The goal of saving $1 billion over the cost of car ownership is based on the fact that CCS members save up to $700/month, on average, after joining. “The $1 billion savings goal is impressive,” said Mayor Tom Bates of Berkeley. “That’s money that people will spend locally. In effect, CCS is helping to create an investment in our economic future.”
City CarShare, the Bay Area’s only local nonprofit carshare provider, provides affordable and convenient mobility solutions with a mission to improve the environment and quality of life in the Bay Area. The 10th Anniversary event, called Getting Mobilized: A Decade of Carsharing, honored its three founders (Gabriel Metcalf, Elizabeth Sullivan and Kate White), and commemorated the first three visionary cities it served: San Francisco, Berkeley, and Oakland.
Honorary Event Co-Chairs included Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, Congresswoman Jackie Speier, Mayor Tom Bates of Berkeley, Mayor Edwin M. Lee of San Francisco, and Mayor Jean Quan of Oakland.
Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi kicked off the event by expressing her ongoing support of City CarShare since its inception. California Senator Loni Hancock, a long time advocate, presented a California Senate Resolution that she co-issued with State Senator Mark Leno, one of the original supporters of City CarShare. City CarShare also received a Certificate of Recognition by the California Legislative Assembly, co-endorsed by the Honorable Nancy Skinner, the Honorable Tom Ammiano, the Honorable Fiona Ma, and the Honorable Sandre Swanson. Assemblywoman Fiona Ma also issued a certificate of recognition for 10 years of service, to City CarShare. Congresswoman Jacqueline Speier, an honorary co-host of the event, issued a Certificate of Recognition to City CarShare’s CEO, Rick Hutchinson.
San Francisco Supervisor Scott Wiener was recognized for his strong support at the event, as was SF Treasurer Jose Cisneros. Johanna Parton, Environmental Policy Advisor for San Francisco Mayor Edwin M. Lee, presented City CarShare with a Proclamation from Mayor Lee, declaring October 19th as City CarShare Day in the City and County of San Francisco. San Francisco Board President David Chiu delivered a Certificate of Honor to City CarShare, on behalf of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.
Sponsors at the event included:
SF Toyota, Chapman & Associates Foundation, Bateman Group, San Francisco Apartment Association, San Mateo Collision, Better Place, DeepRoot Green Infrastructure, Dharma Merchant Services, Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, New Resource Bank, OhSoWe.com, SFMade, T-Mobile, San Francisco Business Times, Anchor Stream, Creative Marketing Concepts, Maureen Futtner & Associates, Numi Tea, SF Bicycle Coalition, SF Landmark Signs, Alternative Technologies
About City CarShare
City CarShare (CCS) is a Bay Area nonprofit that provides convenient, affordable access to shared cars in order to reduce individual car ownership and usage. With a mission to improve the environment and quality of life in our cities, City CarShare continually strives to make their service so convenient, so reliable, and so affordable that people will prefer using a CCS car to owning their own. In doing so, CCS members are reducing traffic, parking problems, and dependence on oil–while promoting cleaner air, quieter streets, and more open space. For more information visit www.citycarshare.org . Contact Laura Haber (415) 970-6233, lhaber@citycarshare.org
SOURCE: City CarShare
