Community Car Share

[Shawn]

Community Car Share
www.communitycarshare.ca

The Car Share program is a great success in Toronto, allowing downtown urban dwellers the opportunity for the short term rental of a vehicle for those times when a bus or taxi is not feasible or convenient. I was excited to see an advertisement for Grand River Car Share (on the back of a Grand River Transit bus no less) advertising the same service here!

If you regularly use the bus or the 'heel-toe express' (walking) you should check them out! :D

There is an excellent FAQ section and pricing seems very reasonable! Gas is even included!

[JasonHammond]

Region of Waterloo joins Grand River CarShare

Hey, folks! Good news: the Regional Municipality of Waterloo has joined a growing list of Corporate Members. This will enable employees to shift their commutes away from an expensive drive to work, using affordable and green modes (transit, cycling, carpooling) instead. When they have to drive for work during their day, the CarShare vehicles are there to meet their needs.

Check out the public google map for details on the Region's, and other, vehicle locations (http://www.grandrivercarshare.ca/pages/mapbig.html).

[UrbanWaterloo]

Welcome to the site Jason.

Awesome growth over there at GRC! :cool: I can remember when you guys only had a handful of sites, now look at it:

- Green placemarks: Currently active stations with vehicles available for reservation by members.
- Yellow placemarks: Currently inactive, reserved parking for CarShare vehicles, and confirmed future stations.
http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/ss203/UrbanWaterloo/Transportation/GrandRiverCarShareLocations-Februar.jpg

[UrbanWaterloo]

Car co-op gauging interest in Elmira
March 19, 2010 By: Joni Miltenburg
http://observerxtra.com/2/news/car-co-op-gauging-interest-in-elmira/

You don’t buy a cow just because you want a glass of milk. So why buy a car when you want to drive?

That’s the question being asked by Grand River Car Share, which is holding an information session in Elmira Mar. 24. The non-profit co-operative is studying the possibility of expanding to Elmira, and hoping to gauge interest in having a car or two located here.

“Now that the bus is there, why not car share?” asked Matthew Piggott, member services coordinator for GRCS.

Grand River Car Share has 12 cars in Waterloo Region and another three in Hamilton. Each member of the co-op gets an access key and can reserve a car at their preferred location online or by calling the reservation line. A trip log records the time and distance travelled and members are billed monthly for their use.

Car share offers the benefits of ownership without the costs of buying or maintaining a car, Piggott says. Members have to buy into an insurance plan which costs $19 per household per month, and their only other cost is mileage.

The concept attracts people who are looking to save money and reduce their environmental footprint. GRCS has about 300 members in Waterloo Region and Hamilton, and that number is growing by about 30 per cent per year, Piggott said.

He acknowledged that it’s more difficult to do without a car in a rural area, but noted car share is a good option for families that need a second vehicle but not enough to own one.

“In Elmira, it might not be your first vehicle, but it could be your second.”

Many of the co-op’s members are such families, as well as seniors who drive infrequently and students who can’t afford cars. GRCS already has a few members in Elmira, and Piggott hopes the information session will attract enough new members to locate a car here. If there’s sufficient interest in Elmira, a car share could be up and running within a couple of months.

The information session will be held Mar. 24 at the library from 7 to 8 p.m. For more information and to complete an online survey, visit www.grandrivercarshare.ca. You can also contact Grand River Car Share at 519-578-1895.

[Shawn]

Wow.. first Elmira gets a McDonald's... then a Tim Horton's and now possibly a Grand River Car Share? This is GREAT news! It's sure not the small town it was when I grew up there and I agree Elmira would be an excellent expansion location for Grand River Car Share and using the "second car" spin is the best approach. I know so many people in Elmira who carry the expense of owning a second car simply for the convenience of not having to worry about how are they going to get the kids (or themselves) to the doctor or other appointments in the city when the principal car is gone. Great idea!

[UrbanWaterloo]

Co-op Office Moving April 1
http://www.grandrivercarshare.ca/

The co-op's Kitchener office will be moving come the end of the month to a brand new office at the corner of King and Eby streets (the Kitchener Farmers' Market block).
The co-op's address as of April 1 will be:
203-290 King St. E.
Kitchener, ON N2G 2L3
To help us complete our move, we ask that members not visit the office between March 30 and April 1. The office will also be closed on Friday, April 2, and Monday, April 5 for the Easter long weekend. Thanks for your assistance with helping the move go as smoothly as possible, and we'll see you at the new office as of Tuesday, April 6!

[Spokes]

Another tenant for the Market! Great. Since it's office though I doubt it'll be taking up residence in one of the empty ground floor spots. Too bad, they need filled badly.

[UrbanWaterloo]

Campus makes room for CarShare
UW Daily Bulletin April 22, 2010 - http://www.bulletin.uwaterloo.ca/2010/apr/22th.html

On this Earth Day, the university is announcing that seven vehicles from Grand River CarShare will soon be parked on the Waterloo campus, ready to be used by CarShare members who need a vehicle for a short time and may not have cars of their own.

“It will not only be an added convenience to members of our community, but may also allow some people to find alternate ways to work rather than bringing their personal vehicle, knowing that if an unforeseen circumstance arises where they need a car, one is available,” says Dan Anderson, director of police and parking services.

He said the seven new vehicles “will be scattered throughout the university, in various parking lots.” There’s already a car positioned at Conrad Grebel University College and one at a housing complex across the street from East Campus Hall, as well as one at the UW Architecture building in Cambridge.

“Vehicles will be put in position as they are acquired,” Anderson said. Signs reserving the parking spots for the CarShare vehicles will go up very shortly, he added.

Grand River CarShare and Hamilton CarShare “are incorporated as a single not-for-profit carsharing co-operative,” their web site says. “The Co-op’s mission is to deliver a carsharing service and to promote carsharing as an important component of a transportation system that supports an alternative to the privately-owned automobile within the Region of Waterloo and the City of Hamilton. Through this the Co-op seeks to reduce overall transportation costs, traffic congestion and air pollution, thus improving our communities.

“We have fleet locations throughout Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, and Hamilton, with more to come, permitting members to reserve cars close to where they live and/or work. Members can make vehicle reservations 24/7 by using our convenient online reservation system or with a simple phone call to our reservation line. Vehicle reservations can be for as little as an hour at a time or for as long as you need. When a reservation is made, the member picks up the reserved car (using her/his vehicle access key) at the preferred fleet location and brings it back at the agreed time. Trip logs record the time and distance travelled for each member so that members are billed monthly.

“All rates include gas, maintenance, and repairs.” Rates average $6 an hour.

Anderson notes that “dozens of staff and faculty” already use the service, and CarShare welcomes more members. There is a $25 application fee, and each member makes a “membership loan” — in effect, a security deposit — of $400 for one driver or $500 for two.

Students over 21 are also welcome to join, though there are insurance-based restrictions on what cars a driver under age 23 can use.

Departments and faculties can also register as corporate members, Anderson said, receiving a single monthly invoice for work trips taken with CarShare vehicles, instead of reimbursing individual trips on personal cars.

He explained the university’s interest in the project: “The University of Waterloo is working with Grand River CarShare to support new transportation choices on campus, reducing pollution and expenses. By contributing new parking spaces to the CarShare system, the university is giving this green transportation service room to grow as more members of the campus community join the non-profit co-operative. This gives faculty, staff, and students over 21 years of age the flexibility to reach campus by bike, transit, carpooling, or another alternative, without losing convenient access to a vehicle if the need arises.”

[IEFBR14]

That should give them a shot in the arm. That could also open doors (and minds) at Laurier and Conestogo, as well as local corporations.

[Shawn]

I'm glad they mentioned the age restriction required to rent a vehicle. When I saw the headline I was wondering how they'd handle that detail. ie: special insurance or simply not allowing people under a certain age. The big users would be the University staff of course, plus maybe they can place the cars close to mature student areas such as the Married Students Residences (does that still exist?) where generally speaking those students would be at least 21 years old.

This really is a great program. I am always hearing from friends in Toronto who use it and regularly rely on it for those necessary trips to IKEA, big grocery shopping trips or even to come back to KW for an afternoon to visit family.

[IEFBR14]

I'm glad they mentioned the age restriction required to rent a vehicle... plus maybe they can place the cars close to mature student areas such as the Married Students Residences (does that still exist?) where generally speaking those students would be at least 21 years old.I would think that the vast majority of grad students, of which there must be a few thousands at UW/WLU, would be at least 21, if not 23.


This really is a great program. I am always hearing from friends in Toronto who use it and regularly rely on it for those necessary trips to IKEA, big grocery shopping trips or even to come back to KW for an afternoon to visit family.
A fleet of vans or minivans with removable seats would also be great for moving co-op students at end/start of term, however, as you say, not many would qualify because of age restrictions.

[taylortbb]

A fleet of vans or minivans with removable seats would also be great for moving co-op students at end/start of term, however, as you say, not many would qualify because of age restrictions.

I think Uhaul has that market, they only require you to be 18. Grand River Car Share probably couldn't compete with their monthly fees, security deposit and age restriction.

[Urbanomicon]

I think Uhaul has that market, they only require you to be 18.

I thought you had to be 25 to rent a vehicle in Canada?

[Shawn]

I thought you had to be 25 to rent a vehicle in Canada?

I think you are right for a "pure" rental, but this is a Co-Op. Perhaps different insurance rules apply? Are there any Home & Auto Insurance Brokers as members of WW who could shed light on this question?

[smably]

I thought you had to be 25 to rent a vehicle in Canada?
Actually not true at all, though many car rental companies will add an extra fee if you are between 21 and 25. I don't know whether any of them rent to people under 21, though.

[Spokes]

Actually not true at all, though many car rental companies will add an extra fee if you are between 21 and 25. I don't know whether any of them rent to people under 21, though.

I thought Enterprise was the only one. Maybe not though. They definitely got my business before I was 25

[taylortbb]

I thought you had to be 25 to rent a vehicle in Canada?

I don't think so, but if that's the case then it's not enforced. My friend had no issue renting a Uhaul when he was 19.

[Spokes]

I don't think so, but if that's the case then it's not enforced. My friend had no issue renting a Uhaul when he was 19.

I think UHaul is different because they do all their liscencing out of Arizona. Theres something about AZ that has really loose laws

[mpd618]

Having recently joined the board at Grand River CarShare, I thought I'd bump this thread up.

CarShare is looking to expand, and now has many new parking spots in Kitchener-Waterloo, thanks to the two cities and the University of Waterloo. You can see on this map (http://www.grandrivercarshare.ca/pages/mapbig.html) where the existing cars are (green), and where the potential spots are (yellow).

This is where you come in. If you, or anyone you know would join if there was a CarShare car at one of the potential spots, please let us know (http://www.grandrivercarshare.ca/pages/contact.html). It only takes twenty people to get a car in place.

The point of CarShare is to allow people occasional, convenient access to a car without having to pay all the insurance and numerous other costs and having it just sit there most of the time. It can be extra mobility for a car-free household, it can be a way to get rid of the expensive second car, or it can be an easy and cheaper way for a company to have use of a car for corporate purposes.

What would make CarShare work for you?

[BuildingScout]

I thought you had to be 25 to rent a vehicle in Canada?

Not at all. Some car rental companies will not rent out to young people because of higher insurance rates. This practice has been found to be illegal in other jurisdictions so it is likely to be illegal here as well. What they are allowed to do and some companies do is (1) charge a higher insurance rate and (2) have your parents rental policy cover you, instead of the rental car company's.

[Spokes]

Not at all. Some car rental companies will not rent out to young people because of higher insurance rates. This practice has been found to be illegal in other jurisdictions so it is likely to be illegal here as well. What they are allowed to do and some companies do is (1) charge a higher insurance rate and (2) have your parents rental policy cover you, instead of the rental car company's.

Enterprise will rent to 18-24 year olds but they tack on an extra $10 or so per day and make you show proof of existing insurance. Or else they used to.

[mpd618]

Right now CarShare members need to be 23 years old, except for the Laurier car, for which drivers can be 21 years old.

Would younger people be willing to pay an extra insurance surcharge in order to be able to use CarShare cars?

[SeekForth]

Enterprise will rent to 18-24 year olds but they tack on an extra $10 or so per day and make you show proof of existing insurance. Or else they used to.

<rant>

The insurance companies like that fee... I remember when I got into an accident (not at fault) and the insurance company paid for the rental car, they refused to pay for this "extra" insurance (as if it was optional) even though I paid for the extra "comfort" package (supposedly cover up to $50/day rental and I had an $18/day rental). My wife was also under 25 at the time so it was x2...

</rant>

[BuildingScout]

Would younger people be willing to pay an extra insurance surcharge in order to be able to use CarShare cars?

I'm no longer that age, but when I was I searched high and low for a car rental company that would rent to me, even if with a higher insurance rate. I would have loved to have CarShare available then.

[mpd618]

For anyone who has thought about joining Grand River CarShare, there's a Groupon deal (http://www.groupon.com/deals/grand-river-carshare) on right now for a half-price membership application. It's for the Simple Plan (http://communitycarshare.ca/grandriver/our-rates/regular-member/classic-plan/), but there may be a deal for the Classic Plan (http://communitycarshare.ca/grandriver/our-rates/regular-member/classic-plan/) if you contact the office.

If you live in central K-W, chances are that you have multiple cars within walking distance. And there's more cars and locations in the pipeline - as well as a cargo vehicle later this year.

[mpd618]

We're running our debenture campaign (http://communitycarshare.ca/grandriver/blog/2011/08/24/invest-in-co-op-debentures-beginning-sept-1/) right now for Grand River CarShare. It's a way to get 3.5% annual return on your investment, while helping your local car co-op raise funds to add a cargo vehicle to the fleet.

(If you're not a member of CarShare, you would just need to join as an associate member with a $10 member loan -- which is returned to you when you leave the co-op.)

Any thoughts about the kind of cargo vehicle we should get, or where we should place it? Would you join if we added a cargo vehicle?

[KevinL]

Any thoughts about the kind of cargo vehicle we should get, or where we should place it? Would you join if we added a cargo vehicle?

A van hefty enough to haul a good amount of 4'x8' sheet goods (plywood, drywall), and volume enough for large household items (fridge, couch). Central location close to transit.

I'll be happy to join once I have the required license (still working on that).

[mpd618]

An important update on CarShare: rates have changed and it's now cheaper to join. See the site for an overview of the new rates (http://communitycarshare.ca/grandriver/our-rates/regular-member/comparison/). We made available an option that doesn't have a high upfront cost (Regular Plan) and made Simple Plan better. If you might need need a car or a van only occasionally, with Simple Plan you can be a member for only $40/year and get vehicle access when you need it. Rates include gas and insurance.

If you're part of a business or organization that has work trips, you should encourage them to join as a corporate member. That way you don't have to drive to work in order to drive for work. Alternatively, it lets organizations reduce the size of their own fleet.

I should add that there's 14 cars available (http://communitycarshare.ca/grandriver/find-cars/) in Kitchener-Waterloo right now (plus 4 in Hamilton), and more are in the pipeline.

[mpd618]

Today the minimum driving age for the entire fleet went down from 23 to 21. And in other CarShare news, there's a Ford Transit Connect cargo van stationed at the Home Hardware on Park Street.

[zanate]

And in other CarShare news, there's a Ford Transit Connect cargo van stationed at the Home Hardware on Park Street.

Now that is monumentally brilliant. Kudos to CarShare and to Swanson for recognizing how attractive this will make that Home Hardware to any non-car-owning customers.

[markster]

I'm driving the cargo van to Toronto on Saturday!
Using it for bicycle transport to the Ride For Heart.

[DHLawrence]

Now that is monumentally brilliant. Kudos to CarShare and to Swanson for recognizing how attractive this will make that Home Hardware to any non-car-owning customers.

It's a fairly common practice for larger hardware stores to rent vans out. I know Home Depot rents vans out to customers, and I expect Rona and Lowes do the same.

[mpd618]

It's a fairly common practice for larger hardware stores to rent vans out. I know Home Depot rents vans out to customers, and I expect Rona and Lowes do the same.

I just checked, and apparently for those stores you must provide proof of automobile insurance. It's also quite a bit more expensive than CarShare would be, though they're bigger vans. (If there's high demand for a full-size cargo van, we could look at adding that too.)

[mpd618]

CarShare has updated its fleet, with the oldest car now a 2006. It's also added two locations: Erb Street Mennonite Church (at Dunbar) and Fairview Park Mall (near the bus terminal). There's various plans for new locations, but among them are plans to expand to Elmira this fall. If you're interested in that, you should sign up and help figure out where to place the cars.

For all you condo developers, landlords, employers, or anyone at all: there's a handy new program that lets you place a vehicle of your choice in any location. It's straightforward, flexible, and should make it easy to provide CarShare as an amenity, to ensure that there's a vehicle available for staff trips, or if you simply want to kick-start a new location. Its cost goes down the more the car is used.

[mpd618]

Community CarShare finally launched in Elmira today! Two cars available - one at the Woolwich Memorial Centre on Snyder Ave, and another at Enviro-Stewards on Union St.

[mpd618]

Ho hum, another launch... Community CarShare is launching in Guelph with three cars on May 1 - two downtown and one at the U of G. Details of locations and orientation sessions here (http://us4.campaign-archive1.com/?u=8234c4f9af6e8c6439cb245b0&id=d92b67a46f).

In this case, the Guelph Community Car Co-op is dissolving and invited CarShare to take over. I think the demand is going to be pretty great, and it will be more than three cars in no time.