9 Nov - Not just bikes

Although most people think about Positive Spin for bikes, our mission is to also support citizens who walk, use transit and carpool.  This article in YES! magazine gives specific advice on how people are sharing their cars in more effective ways.  Check it out if you would like to use your car less, but can't give it up yet.  Here's a quote from the article:

Still need a car for some trips? Instead of buying one, you can join a carsharing service. Between 2007 and 2009, membership in North American services like Zipcar and the nonprofit City Carshare rose by 117 percent—and is projected to hit 4.4 million within six years.

Still need a car for some trips? Instead of buying one, you can join a carsharing service.

Own a set of wheels? You can still share them. We’re seeing a proliferation of new peer-to-peer carsharing services like RelayRides, Spride Share, and WhipCar, which let you rent your car directly to strangers or share a single car among several friends. Let’s say, for example, that you’re visiting Cambridge, Mass., for a day and need a car for touring the city. You’d look at the RelayRides website, find the nearest participant who is renting out her car, check availability and reserve the time, and then go get your ride. There are also many new companies—such as Avego, Zebigo, and Carticipate—that connect carpoolers over the Internet.

The environmental benefits of carsharing are enormous. Research by the consulting firm Frost & Sullivan estimates that, “on average, each shared vehicle replaced 15 personally owned vehicles in 2009 and carsharing members drove 31 percent less than when they owned a personal vehicle. These two factors translate into 482,170 fewer tons of CO2 emissions and less travel congestion in urban areas.”