Thursday, September 06, 2007

Flexcar is a Seattle-based company which has successfully introduced "car sharing" to L.A., Chicago, San Franciso, Atlanta and San Diego, winning numerous awards for reducing traffic and air pollution in those cities. [Wikipedia - Flexcar]
It works like this: You reserve a car using the phone or online, which displays car locations and availability, then simply walk to the vehicle, swipe a smartcard, and the car is yours. The whole thing costs $9/hour (plus a $40 annual membership fee), which covers insurance, unlimited mileage, 24/7 roadside assistance and gas. The company has charts of how much money you could save by using their service over a year. [Flexcar offers commuters an alternative]
Great concept and I honestly think that I'll think about doing it as it gets bigger in future years.