- By Jennifer Dotson
- News
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"We had been working since May on an agreement to become part of the Flexcar network while maintaining our own not-for-profit local identity," said Jennifer Dotson, Ithaca Carshare executive director. "Now we have learned that the new merged firm is not interested in that kind of model."
The two national firms have joined together to create a single carsharing network under the Zipcar brand, operating in 15 major metropolitan areas.
"We are extremely disappointed," said David Lieb, president of the Ithaca Carshare board of directors. "A week before the merger was publicly announced, we were still in contract talks with Flexcar, with the understanding that we were ironing out the last details that would have meant a launch this fall. This news came at us out of the blue."
Before talks with Flexcar began, Ithaca Carshare had planned to launch independently, but was stymied by high auto liability insurance rates. "We were interested in the affiliation because it meant access to affordable auto insurance, and included eligibility for 18- to 20-year old college students," said Dotson.
Ithaca Carshare has been looking steadily at alternative strategies, said Dotson, including teaming with other independents. Ithaca Carshare is part of a growing network of independent carsharing organizations that has over 2,000 cars and 75,000 members in nine US and Canadian cities and which recently agreed on a shared code of ethics.
"Carsharing is a growing industry," said Dotson, "and there's great potential for us to work with this group on insurance and on shared car access in other cities served by independent carsharing organizations."
Dotson and Lieb reiterated Ithaca Carshare's unchanged commitment to bring carsharing to the local community.
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