According to the AJC, Atlanta now has their own version of the Cambio car share program I am in over here:
Flexcar, the by-the-hour car rental company, has arrived in Atlanta. Emory University received six Flexcar vehicles last week. More are expected soon at parking lots across downtown and Midtown Atlanta. The service is geared for the booming Midtown and downtown residential population and for people who take transit or carpool to work but occasionally need to drive during the day to run errands, visit the doctor or check on a sick child. Consider it a safety net for those who've decided to go carless. At Emory, plagued by notoriously bad traffic, officials hope Flexcar convinces some employees it's OK to ditch their cars and get to work by train, bus, or carpool. "We want to create an environment where there are no excuses for not using alternative transportation," said Laura Ray, the university's vice president for transportation and parking.
Here's how it works: Users register with Flexcar to obtain an identification card before reserving a car online or by calling a toll-free number. The vehicle is unlocked by swiping the ID card on a reader located on the windshield. The keys are in the glove box. After use, the car is returned to its parking space and the ID card is swiped once more to tally the time it was checked out. The cost: about $9 an hour. Flexcar pays for everything — gas, maintenance and even insurance. Users don't even have to replace the gas they use. All of the cars at Emory are Honda Civics, including one hybrid. Atlanta becomes the seventh market for Flexcar, joining Los Angeles, Portland, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C. Midtown resident David Emory said Flexcar will help him get rid of his 1998 Nissan Altima once and for all. Emory, 27, a transportation planner, lives near a MARTA train station and already goes for days without using his car. "It's gotten to the point now where just the hassle associated with having a car is more trouble than it's worth," he said. Flexcar "will help make the city a less automobile-dependent place. It's a big step forward for us in terms of the development of the city." No locations have been announced for the downtown and Midtown Flexcars.
1 comment:
I think this is a brilliant program.
While I occasionally complain about being dependent on public transit here, I'm thrilled to have access to it.
We shipped our 1999 Oldsmobile over from the states and not only pay about $1,700 car tax on it annually here, we also have a helluva time getting it repaired in a timely manner for a reasonable cost by American standards.
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