has anyone done philly carshare? is it a good deal? it looks good but I can't tell if it would be more cost effective to just rent a car the few times a year that I need one.

I myself am looking into doing it. I know for a fact that it is cheaper than owning a car in the city, but probably not if you have to use it every day for multiple times. I take the subway and walk most places, but would rely on Philly Car Share for transporting groceries and things of that nature. I just wish there were a location a little closer to my house in Powelton.

I know the city just signed up to start using cars too. Thats gonna help make Philly CarShare more popular.

I'd also be curious to hear from people who use it now.

-G

I wish they had a pickup truck...

I just sent a PM to Clayton Lane, the guy that runs it, he was on the blog a long time ago, I hope he shows up so your questions can be answered.

If not I think either Hal or Neil know a lot about this program.

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Gap: There's a "pod", as their location are called, at 38th & Walnut, which isn't too far from Powelton. And the car offered there is a liftback, which isn't exactly a pickup truck, but presumably better for carrying large items.

Here are all their locations:
http://www.phillycarshare.com/html/map_overview.htm

I feel very strongly that this is a good idea, but it will probably have its limitations. It wouldn't make much sense to use it for daily commutes, but if you live in the city, you have SEPTA for that. Where CarShare would come in really handy would be for filling in the blanks, so to speak, that SEPTA leaves - the infrequent off-peak service, the difficulty of carrying large items or lots of shopping on a bus or subway. So some combination of CarShare and SEPTA would make the most sense. If you're commuting with SEPTA, that probably means you need a pass, so you'd have to factor that cost in along with the cost of CarShare.

But I think that all of that taken together still pales in comparison to the combination of car loan payments + insurance + gas + maintenance + parking, which is what you have when you own your own car.

I hope CarShare continues to expand. I was heartened to see that city is even getting in on the act, and saving some money in the process.

Niel sums it up well. I guess there's nothing left for me to say. :-)

PhillyCarShare is GOOD for that occasional need for a car. You can normally commute by walking, biking or SEPTA, but you still need a car occasionally to haul bulky things or go where SEPTA doesn't serve well. IKEA, groceries, party in Jersey, holiday shopping, event in West Chester, quick runs to the airport -- these are great uses for car sharing. It makes it easy to live in the city without owning a car.

PhillyCarShare is NOT GOOD for commuting to work. If you need a car to commute, buy one or carpool. Everyone else, please share. :-)

MALLOY: We're getting our first pick-up truck this Spring! Woo-hoo! It'll be parked at Whole Foods at 9th & South. Over time, we'll add a second, probably in West Philly. In the meantime, PhillyCarShare's 10 Toyota Matrix Wagons each can haul a tall bookcase or small couch (I've done both), since all five seats fold down. We plan to add roof racks soon as well.

GAP: I wish we were closer to you, since you sound like the perfect candidate. For now, 38th & Walnut or 22nd & Fairmount are closest . We plan to open in Powelton Village once we see a handful of new members there (we have just a couple presently).

MOD says: "has anyone done philly carshare? is it a good deal?"

97% of 700+ members say they're "extremely satisfied" or "satisfied" with the service, and members report saving an average of $2,017 annually. Former car owners save more, of course. 16% say they spend more, in return for greater freedom and convenience.

Car sharing ends up being much more affordable than owning or renting, if you travel between 400 and 10,000 miles/year and commute via walking, biking, or transit.

Personally, I rented from Avis before joining PhillyCarShare. Now I find it convenient to take a trip for 1-2 hours (about $6 to $12) rather than save up all my errands for that big rental.

Carless people like us say they prefer the convenience. You get a key to all the cars (mostly hybid gas-electric), 24-hour access, in your neighborhood. Then just reserve on-line, hop in & go! No paperwork, hassle, trekking to a rental agency, etc. You get a bill at the end of the month, and it's automatically debited.

Because some members yearned for trips to Atantic City or Lancaster, we recently decided to offer daily rates too! Currently two locations offer daily rates, and we're expanding the program. Check http://www.phillycarshare.com/html/map_overview.htm for the latest.

WHEW! Boy, can I write! I love your questions. Thanks for the chance to respond.

Clayton

__________________
Clayton Lane, AICP
Deputy Executive Director
PhillyCarShare
215-730-0988
www.phillycarshare.org

Sure, but this only works if you spend the large majority of your time within city limits, or the areas accessible by SEPTA.

I hope the program grows. Tell them to get a pickup or two also. Chevy will be the 1st in the US market to offer a hybrid pickup. Toyota already has the hybrid Highlander mini SUV....

Clayton, what do you think will be the impact of the city's decision to work with CarShare? Presumably it's increased your client base considerably, and hopefully also your profile in the general community.

On the other hand, I can see current CarShare members worrying city employees will monopolize all the cars and make it harder for others to get cars when they need them.

Overall I think it's fantastic that the city has partnered with your organization, even if there are some kinks to work out.

Oh..here's an unrelated question. Has there been any thought to investing in at least a few child booster seats for some of your cars? I don't know how many of your members are parents, maybe not a lot. And of course if you have kids it's harder to justify not having your own car. But if parents do express an interest it might be good to have at least a few cars available with a booster. It could be stored in the trunk when not in use.

Clayton, thanks for the reply. I am glad you have been successful so far, and I hope this program continues to grow. Its a great idea! I for one will be using that pickup....there have been countless times where I had to move something big aound the city, forcing me to either rent a truck for the whole day or drive 30 miles to get my friends ragged-out/gas hog truck.

As the program gains popularity, do you see scheduling issues? Meaning demand > supply?

The City's membership will improve availability for household members. Here's why:

City employees need cars primarily during City business hours. Individuals like you & me need cars primarily on weekends and evenings, when we're not working (or blogging!). So as PhillyCarShare adds many cars for the City around City Hall, on weekends we'll shuttle many to neighborhood pods for use by you & me. The balance of demand throughout the week will allow us to provide excellent availability even during peak hours, like a beautiful Saturday afternoon.

Once we add enough shared cars for the City, we'll also be able to offer affordable weekend rentals for individuals. So you and a date can hop in a Prius and head for the Poconos.

In general, having more members helps availability, since we add more cars to match demand, and more cars means you have more options. In Rittenhouse Square, for example, we have 7 locations, one every few blocks. That's great for availability. If your closest car isn't available, a couple blocks will bring you to two or three others.

Regarding child seats: yes. We're equipping some pods with child seats/boosters, hopefully by this summer. They'll probably be stored in secure lockboxes at each pod, with the key stored inside the vehicle. Members will reserve a child seat, just like they reserve a car. The more we can improve the appeal of staying in the city, especially for growing families, the better!

Malloy, if we get a pick-up, you've gotta promise to share it, okay?

Clayton

__________________
Clayton Lane, AICP
Deputy Executive Director
PhillyCarShare
215-730-0988
www.phillycarshare.org