It’s looking like spring is actually, finally here! (Knock on wood!) And we have 3 new car locations to go along with the new season.
-Downtown:
-Edgewater:
-Rogers Park:
Both the 60 E
Friday, April 18, 2008
New Cars for a New Season!
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how can i-go say that it reduces urban congestion if it keeps increasing the number of cars for members to use? what are the statistics to back up this claim? thanks!
ReplyDeleteare these new cars for new locations or just old cars for new locations...just wondering.
ReplyDeleteIn answer to your question Mario- it is a little of both. 5240 N. Sheridan and 1218 W Morse are both new locations with new cars. 60 E Lake is a new location but not a new car. Hope this helps!
ReplyDeleteThat’s a great question. Thanks for asking! It is true, as you pointed out, that I-GO operates a fleet of cars, and these cars take up road space just like any other cars do. Perhaps we should have said, “I-GO results in a net reduction in urban congestion”, because of the impact I-GO has on the way its members travel.
ReplyDeleteThe bottom line is, I-GO members drive less and own fewer cars than they would otherwise. So more I-GO cars means less congestion. Seem counterintuitive? Here are the numbers:
Every I-GO car serves about 40 members. So for each I-GO car we add, that’s 40 more Chicagoans who are less dependent on a privately owned car than they would be otherwise. “Aha!”, you say. But what about members who weren’t driving at all before, and now are, because of I-GO? Certainly this increases congestion? And if all members fit this description, you’d be right. BUT, in our January 2008 member survey, fully 35% of respondents indicated that they gave up a car, or decided against buying a car, in conjunction with joining I-GO. Taking 35% of 40 members per car gives us a figure of 15.75 cars removed from the road (car owners who now aren’t, or would-be car owners who decided they wouldn’t) for each I-GO car added. Net out the I-GO car, and you have a net reduction of 14.75 cars, every time I-GO adds a car. Which means less crowded roads, and less polluted air, for all of us.
If you’re not a numbers person, think of car sharing like this: when you own a car, most of the costs you will pay even if the car spends its entire life in the garage. The AAA’s “Your Driving Costs 2008” estimates that for someone who drives 10,000 miles a year, the costs of owning the car (car payments, insurance, license and registration fees) are nearly 80% of the total costs of driving. The costs that depend on how much you drive (gas, maintenance, and repairs) are only 20% of the total cost. So once you own a car, you might as well drive it, because once you’ve bought the thing the extra cost of taking it for a spin are marginal. When you car share, on the other hand, you pay for exactly and only how much you drive. Suddenly, the fixed costs of ownership (that pesky 80%) have become variable costs of use. Bingo! Car sharers drive less. Which means less crowded roads, and less polluted air, for all of us.
I just joined i-Go today. I'm excited!
ReplyDeleteExcellent answer to the urban congestion inquiry, Clare. One other minor positive side effect is reducing the number of cars taking up neighborhood parking spaces, so (for example) your friends have some place to park when they come visit you.
(Oh, you just left me a voice mail saying that my packet is ready!)