Moving Beyond the Automobile: Car-Sharing

In the third episode of our Moving Beyond the Automobile series, Streetfilms takes a look at a more efficient way to use cars. Unlike owning a car, which involves a large upfront purchase and low costs per trip, car-sharing allows people to evaluate the full cost of each car trip. When car-share members choose whether to drive, take transit, walk, or bike, the incentives guide them toward the most appropriate mode for that specific trip. Driving half a mile to pick up some milk starts to make a lot less sense.

Zipcar, a leading car-share company, reports that members save $600 a month compared to the costs of owning an automobile. They also walk and bike 10 to 15 percent more than they did before joining Zipcar.

So while car-sharing isn’t exactly “beyond the automobile,” it is a great way to help cut traffic, reduce the space taken up by private cars, and make city streets more efficient.

This series is made possible by funding from the Fund for The Environment & Urban Life.