Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Car Sharing

[Sharon Villines (sharon]

On Jan 14, 2008, at 1:11 PM, Scott Nelson Windels wrote:

> I think overall ZipCar is cheaper and we have an account there - but
> nothing beats having the option for a car parked right out front.

When you say "we" do you mean your household or the community?

I spend a lot of time trying to get a ZipCar in our parking lot. It  
would have required that we pay for $1500 a month as a minimum. If  
residents rented the car enough to equal that minimum, we wouldn't  
have to pay. That minimum required someone one to be responsible and  
give their credit card number. The community wouldn't do that (we  
didn't even ask).

I think if we had the car, people would use it but I was not willing  
to take the $1500 risk without commitments of intent, at least, from  
other residents. I only use a car, at most, 8 hours a month. The  
largest potential user has now bought her own car. Others would use it  
as a second car. It would take time for them to trust the ZipCar  
enough to get rid of second cars.

That was a few years ago. Now we have 8 ZipCars in three locations  
within 2 blocks of us and two more coming when a new building is  
completed 4 blocks away.

Sharon
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Sharon Villines
Takoma Village Cohousing,Washington DC
http://www.takomavillage.org