Issue Focus: In Between Transit, I-GO Car Sharing from Chicago

I recently overheard a few Detroiters talking about being tired of waiting for Zipcar to start an operation here.  Well, I may have an answer for them: wait no more!  We don’t need Zipcar!  It was I-GO, a non-profit car sharing program started by the Center for Neighborhood Technology in Chicago, first brought car sharing to the Midwest.

Last week, I spoke with Sharon Feigon, I-GO’s CEO, about how I-GO car sharing works, why it is good for both wallets and the environment, and how their model is different from that of a for-profit car sharing company.

You can listen to our conversation here.

I-GO has a clear commitment to transportation choice and economic and environmental health.  They believe car sharing will reduce vehicle miles traveled in Chicago–and they can back it up with survey data that they collect every year.  What they’ve found is that, when people have invested in car ownership, they tend to use that car for everything, even when another option–public transit, biking, or walking–would have sufficed.  When people have the option to use car sharing for those car-mandatory journeys, they start making smarter choices about when, and when not, to use a car.

By the way, Sharon mentioned that I-GO is always willing to help other communities figure out whether car sharing might work for them.  I’m hoping that some of our readers might take her up on this offer.  Lots of contact info is available over at the I-GO site!

Thanks again to Sharon for being willing to spend some time introducing I-GO to the rest of the Great Lakes cities!

This post is a part of our September series on “In Between Transit,” car-lite solutions in cities where far-reaching public transit is still some ways off.  Usually posted on Wednesdays, our monthly Issue Focus spotlights an issue, and related solutions, affecting our cities.  Last week we explored the Dequindre Cut in Detroit, and next week we’re talking about bike solutions and complete streets advocacy in Buffalo.  Check back next Wednesday!