The city will add 80 new curbside parking spots for its now-permanent carshare program, the Department of Transportation announced on Tuesday — adding that the expansion would focus on equitable distribution in predominantly low-income Black and brown neighborhoods with limited transportation options.
DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said Tuesday that the dozens of new spots — the first out of several hundred more over the next year, following a successful four-year, 14-neighborhood pilot — will start popping up in Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx over the next two weeks.
The carshare pilot launched in 2018 with the goal of helping to reducing private car ownership and unnecessary trips by making it easier to rent a car for short periods when one is essential. And it’s been a major success, said Rodriguez — total miles driven dropped by 38.7 million miles annually, and each car-share member reported driving about 300 miles fewer when in the program. Additionally, about 1,140 users, or 7 percent of program participants, either sold their cars or chose not to replace an old one.
“We now have the proof that convenient access to carshare frees New Yorkers from the burden of car ownership — while helping to fight climate change,” said Rodriguez. "Soon, more New Yorkers will have access to a vehicle when required — no need to sign an expensive lease or to fret about finding a parking space."
The DOT this past summer set its rules and agenda for the permanent citywide program, inviting car share companies to apply. The three companies part of the program are now Boston-based Zipcar, which has been participating since 2001; Getaround, a San Francisco-based company; and Truqit, a pickup truck sharing company.
"Our goal is to give New Yorkers access to convenient and sustainable transportation options, without the hassles of car ownership,” said Truqit CEO Sohail Suleman. “With cutting-edge technology and a strong partnership with the city, Truqit is poised to bring about a brighter, greener future for all.”
The three companies will start deploying their vehicles in the 80 new spots over the next two weeks — including in the Pelham Bay and Westchester Square sections of The Bronx; in Bay Ridge, Bushwick, Brownsville, and Sunset Park, in Brooklyn; and Ozone Park, South Ozone Park, Long Island City, and Woodside, in Queens. Spaces are already being installed in Brooklyn and the Bronx, with spaces in Queens starting next week.
Another several hundred more spots — the exact number is not yet known — will come online later this year, according to DOT.
