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Car Sharing

Zipcar
Other Car Sharing Services
Useful Links


Car sharing is very similar to car rental but with a difference: You can use the car sharing vehicle for as little as a half-hour and the cars are located in the communities or adjacent to major transit locations rather than at a central car rental location.

Car sharing gives you access to a vehicle 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – without the hassle of owning a car. Hourly or monthly fees vary. They cover gasoline, parking, insurance and emergency service. According to various studies, car sharing:

  • Reduces car ownership and the number of cars on the road
  • Encourages more transit trips
  • Lessens the number of vehicle miles traveled and pollution
  • Saves gas
  • Provides for a more efficient use of parking spaces.

For employers, carsharing:

  • Reduces business travel costs
  • Offers convenient transportation to offsite meetings
  • Does not involve complicated reimbursements
  • Provides an alternative commuting option for employees.

For employees, carsharing:

  • Offers convenient access to cars near your office
  • Complements public transit and carpooling
  • Reduces the carbon footprint.

The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) has announced (news release here) a significant expansion of commercial car sharing services in the County at no cost to the County. Car sharing provides County residents, visitors and businesses with increased access to convenient transportation options that reduce parking demand and traffic congestion in the County’s urban centers.

To increase car sharing, MCDOT has provided public parking spaces for 52 additional car sharing vehicles. The companies are paying established parking rates for use of the County parking spaces in Bethesda, Silver Spring, North Bethesda, Wheaton and Montgomery Hills.

Car sharing vehicles are also available at Metrorail stations in Montgomery County including Bethesda, Grosvenor-Strathmore, Silver Spring, Shady Grove, and White Flint.

Call 240-773-BWTW (2989) or email us anytime for more information.

ZIPCAR

Zipcar offers "wheels when you want them." It's the world's largest car sharing service and an alternative to traditional car rental and car ownership. Zipcar members report an average monthly savings of more than $500 compared to car ownership.

People can share Zipcars all around the greater Washington DC area, as well as in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, London, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto, Vancouver and more. Zipcars also live on campus at many universities.

Click on Zipcar to visit their website.  Click here to see where Zipcars are currently located in the Montgomery County area.

OTHER CAR SHARING SERVICES

Car sharing is urban mobility for the 21st century. Many people living in cities don't drive enough to justify the expense and hassles of owning a car - yet can't give up the freedom of driving a car when they want to. Car sharing provides flexible wheels - a network of cars throughout the city, 24 hours a day, paying-per-trip.

Zipcar and Hertz On Demand are not the only car-sharing opportunities. As of July 1, 2009 - based on data from the University of California - 26 U.S. car sharing programs claimed more than 320,000 members sharing more than 7,700 vehicles in cities, corporate campuses and at colleges.

Users reserve vehicles by phone, smartphone or the Internet, and you pay only when you use them, for a few hours, or a week. You pay per trip, and never have to worry about repairs, insurance, or monthly parking again.

Useful Car Sharing Links

  1. 2008 National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board Commuter Connections Carshare Survey – Results of the regional Carshare Survey conducted for the Commuter Connections program administered by the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board (TPB).
  2. The Carsharing Network – Information and news about carsharing in North America.
  3. Carsharing US – Information, issues and ideas for U.S. and North American carsharing services and partners.