PhillyCarShare

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

PhillyCarShare

Type	non-profit
Founded	2002
Headquarters	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Key people	Tanya Seaman, founder
Industry	transportation
Products	carsharing
Employees	50
Website	www.phillycarshare.org

PhillyCarShare is a non-profit carsharing organization in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The service was launched in 2002. PhillyCarShare has cars available for use 24 hours per day throughout the city of Philadelphia. As of September 1, 2006, PhillyCarShare dropped application fees for all their plans and all membership fees for their Basic Freedom plan - members are charged based on time of use and miles driven. Its stated goal is "to maximize the economic, environmental, and social benefits of reduced automobile dependence in the Philadelphia region through community-based car sharing."

The goals of the company is to reduce the number of cars on the road; to promote the use of gas-saving automobiles; reduce pollution; promote a car-free lifestyle and save its members money. In 2007, PCS estimated that it had removed the need for more than 8,000 cars in Philadelphia, saved one million gallons of gas though the use of hybrids and reduced driving; saved each of its members $4,000 and reduced pollution by eliminating 16 million driven miles.^[1]

1 Community impact
2 PhillyCarShare Membership Details
3 PhillyCarShare and SEPTA
4 Fleet
5 Key to the City
6 Philly Sound Clash
7 See also
8 External links
9 References

[edit] Community impact

PhillyCarShare in front of the Philadelphia Art Museum

Its partnership vehicle-sharing program with the City of Philadelphia was named one of 18 national finalists for the Innovations in American Government Awards, which are overseen by the Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.^[2] This program allowed city workers to utilize car share cars, and allowed the city to reduce its fleet of underutilized city-owned vehicles by 330 cars.^[3]. The fleet reduction is estimated to have saved the City of Philadelphia $6 million. The City of Wilmington, Delaware joined PCS in 2007.

With the partnership between the City of Philadelphia and PhillyCarShare, the City became the first "government worldwide to share cars with local residents in a major fleet reduction effort."^[4]

[edit] PhillyCarShare Membership Details

In October of 2007 PhillyCarShare announced that its membership had reached 30,000.^[5]

In August, 2007 PCS switched to a revenue-neutral membership fee structure. The per-hour costs for most of the cars in the fleet were dramatically reduced due to this change. The new fee structure for the lowest priced cars is as follows^[6]:

Basic Freedom Plan: No monthly/yearly membership. Rates starting at $4.90/hr week days (or $49/day) and $6.90/hr weekends (or $69/day) plus 9¢ a mile. Gas and insurance included.

Advantage Plan: $15/month fee. Rates starting at $3.90/hr week days (or $29/day max) and $4.90/hr weekends (or $49/day) plus 9¢ a mile. Gas and insurance included.

Business Plan: $5.90/hr (or $48/day) plus 9¢ a mile. Gas and insurance included.

9¢ a mile applies to the first 200 miles per 24 hours. Starting at mile 201, within a 24 hour period, the rate goes up to 18¢ per mile. $0 application fee. $0 deposit required. $0 annual dues.

In addition, to promote the hybrid vehicles that make up more than half of the PhillyCarShare fleet each member gets a credit of one free hour per month to be used on any trip longer than three hours booked on a hybrid vehicle.

PhillyCarShare was the first car sharing organization to allow 18-year-olds access to drive their cars.^[7]

[edit] PhillyCarShare and SEPTA

In July of 2007, PhillyCarShare and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) announced^[8] a partnership to expand regional mobility. PhillyCarShare will reimburse transit fares from select stations in $1.30 and $3.50 rebates for subway and regional rail rides respectively. PhillyCarShare believes this is the first pairing of a regional transportation agency teaming up with a car sharing organization in the United States if not the world.

[edit] Fleet

The PhillyCarShare fleet includes over 20 makes and models.^[9] Over half of the fleet is hybrid vehicles, including the Toyota Prius and Camry Hybrid. Other cars include the Toyota Matrix, Toyota Tacoma, Honda Element, Mazda Miata, VW New Beetle, Audi A4, Volvo S40, Mini Cooper, BMW 325i, Lexus IS250, and Toyota Sienna.

[edit] Key to the City

PhillyCarShare introduced their Key to the City^[10] program in 2007 bringing discounts to Philadelphia area retailers. All members have a keytag which they can show at participating retailers to enjoy exclusive discounts. Discounts include local eateries, shops and cultural institutions.

[edit] Philly Sound Clash

In 2006 PhillyCarShare began issuing a "Music to drive by" CD entitled "Philly Sound Clash". Copies of the CD are placed in all of the vehicles, and members are encouraged to take home as many copies as they desire. The CD features local Philadelphia artists in a battle of the bands type contest, 2007's winner was Philadelphia Slick.