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Ithaca Carshare vehicles will be available for use on Wednesday June 25. The local nonprofit provides members self-service 24-hour access to 6 hatchbacks, with a pick-up truck expected shortly. Carshare members use an online reservation system to choose the vehicle they need at the time they need it. All six vehicles were driven by organizers in the Ithaca Festival parade on Thursday.

Vehicles will be located in several locations around town, including downtown, Collegetown, two locations on the Cornell campus, at Ithaca College, and at EcoVillage on West Hill. Both Ithaca College and Cornell are supporting participation by students and staff, and as a result, organizers expect to increase vehicles and locations around Ithaca within months.

Two membership plans are available. "Just in Case" is directed at people who have occasional use for a car or truck; and "It's My Car" caters to drivers who are looking for a way to replace car ownership or the need to own a second car.

"We had over 50 applications even before cars were available," says Executive Director Jennifer Dotson, "and as those members start driving cars around, we think many others will start thinking about how Ithaca Carshare can save them money." Members pay an annual or monthly fee and then by the hour and mile for usage, which covers gas, insurance, cleaning, maintenance, and other vehicle ownership costs.

"People often don't consider all the hidden costs of owning a vehicle," notes board member Marian Brown, of Ithaca College, "Ithaca Carshare offers an opportunity to just pay for the slice of the vehicle you're using, rather than paying 24/7 for all the new brakes and fill-ups." Studies on the impacts of carsharing show that one carsharing vehicle can replace up to 15 privately owned vehicles. Dotson doesn't find this surprising; she says the average car spends 95% of its time parked.

Ithaca Carshare has received support in the pre-launch period from the New York State Department of Transportation and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, in addition to support from local institutions, including the City of Ithaca, the Ithaca-Tompkins County Transportation Council, EcoVillage at Ithaca, Cornell University, and Ithaca College.

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