I-GO Car Sharing expanding throughout Evanston

How much does I-GO love Evanston? Let us count the ways. Twelve to be precise.

The three new vehicles joining our Evanston flock in August (Honda CRV, Toyota Yaris, Honda Odyssey—see below for details) bring the number of I-GO cars in the community to an even dozen.

We're psyched that the South Blvd. and Hinman Ave. cars bring even more I-GO cars to south Evanston residents. And we think the Odyssey minivan in north Evanston is a pretty big deal, too. Previously, the closest I-GO minivan for Evanstonians was miles away on Chicago's North Side.

So load up the groceries and get those kids to their soccer game on time. It's easier than ever with I-GO.

New I-GO cars in Evanston:


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#4440
508 South Blvd. (at Hinman)
Honda CRV sport utility


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#4441
508 South Blvd. (at Hinman)
Toyota Yaris hatchback


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#4442
828 W Noyes St.
Honda Odyssey minivan

Shop and Save in Chicago!

Good news for I-GO members-- five new local businesses have joined our Chi-Town Rewards Program! You can now save some dough simply by flashing your I-GO Smartcard at the following businesses:



Green Home Experts
www.GHExperts.com
708.660.1443
OFFER: 10% off all in-stock items up to $100



Rent Smart Chicago
www.RentSmartChicago.com
773.275.2700
OFFER: $100 off first months rent



ENRG Fitness Chicago
www.enrgfitnesschicago.com
847.767.9567 OFFER: 10% off first month



Ridge Art
www.ridgeart.com
708.848.4062
OFFER: 20% off



Chicago Energy Consultants
www.ChicagoEnergyConsultants.com
773.969.6697
OFFER: 10% off Home Energy Audit

I-GO begins suburban expansion

We have officially kicked off our suburban expansion program with the addition of two new cars in Oak Park and Evanston. We also added two new cars in Chicago: one in Streeterville and one in Pilsen. Three of these four cars are brand spankin' new 2010 Honda Insights. Haven't seen one yet? Make sure to check it out!

Evanston: 1800 Maple Ave
2010 Red Honda Insight; Car #4427


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Oak Park: 833 S. Euclid
2010 Silver Honda Insight; Car #4416


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Streeterville: 441 E Ontario
2009 Blue Honda Element; Car #4413


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Pilsen: 828 W 19th Street
2010 Silver Honda Civic; #4430


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Are these convenient locations for you? Post below and make your opinion heard!

Stay on the lookout for more I-GO cars in Skokie, Oak Park, and Evanston as we continue the first phase of suburban expansion.

New I-GO Chi-Town Rewards Member: Healthy Green Goods

If you ever find yourself with some time to kill in Evanston, you should check out Healthy Green Goods, the most recent local business to offer I-GO members a discount by joining our Chi-Town Rewards program.

It's simple! All you have to do is flash your I-GO smartcard and you'll receive 10% off your entire purchase! Healthy Green Goods carries a wide array of truly safe and organic products. Need help finding toxin-free, eco-friendly products for everyday living? Healthy Green Goods can help. Swing by their store in Evanston or check them out online.

Healthy Green Goods:
702 Main Street
Evanston, IL 60202

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I-GO Car Sharing now on Facebook and Twitter

Want to stay connected to all that's going on here at I-GO Car Sharing? Join our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter! You'll be the first to hear about new car locations, member benefit updates, event invites, calls for volunteers and a whole lot more!

Adler Planetarium joins I-GO Car Sharing's Chi-Town Rewards Program!

Adler Planetarium is the most recent organization to join our great member benefit program Chi-Town Rewards! As an I-GO member, you can simply flash your I-GO smartcard and receive two-for-one admission to the Planetarium. Not a bad deal, eh?

Adler Planetarium
1300 S. Lake Shore Dr.
312.922.7827
www.adlerplanetarium.org
OFFER: 2-for-1 general admission

3 New I-GO Car Locations

We'll be kicking off April with 3 new I-GO car locations and, no, this is no April Fools! All 3 new I-GO locations are Chicago Park District spaces.

Independence Park (Irving Park & Pulaski)
Silver Honda Civic Hybrid


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Horner Park (2741 W Montrose Ave)
Silver Honda Fit


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Ridge Park (9625 S Longwood)
Blue Honda Civic


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Where else would you like to see new I-GO car locations? Let us know!

Vehicle Relocations

We are relocating 2 I-GO vehicles in the coming week. Don't worry- they aren't going far!

Car #4511: Blue Toyota Prius (currently at 2154 W Wabansia) will be moved just a few blocks on Monday, March 2nd to 2020 W Evergreen (see map below).


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Car #4546: Blue Toyota Matix (currently at 1355 N Dearborn) will be moved to 1360 N Sandburg Terrace this coming Friday (Feb 27th).


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CTA & I-GO make good train-ing partners

Anyone else notice this graphic lately? It's featured prominently in a ton of print ads that have been on CTA trains and buses since early January. The tagline that accompanies it: "One card, three ways to go." And here's the copy: "A seamless way to travel through the city using just one card. Bus, train, and now 200 I-GO cars."

I've been on the lookout for the ads, and I-GO also has its own smaller ad on the CTA. Judging from our web traffic stats, looks like folks are seeing the ads and checking us out.

So what is it exactly? It's the brand-new Chicago Card Plus/I-GO joint smart card. A card with two micro chips that gives you access to all CTA trains and buses, Pace buses, and I-GO's citywide fleet of car-sharing vehicles. The idea: to promote a more unified, expansive and sustainable public transportation network.

Throw your bike into the equation (many of I-GO's cars have racks or are parked near racks, and we'd like to make that more pervasive - check out our Cars & Locations page), and, hell, you may never need to own a car. Now if we could just continue this current warming trend...

3 New I-GO Car Locations

I'm happy to announce that we're adding 3 new I-GO locations early next week!

411 E. Ontario (Blue Honda Civic)


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300 N Canal (Gray Toyota Matrix)


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3941 N Ashland (Blue Honda Element)


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I-GO Blog Love

Here's some recent I-GO buzz around the internet:

• Jon Koller interviewed I-GO business manager Richard Kosmacher for an post to his blog Pretty Good City, which covers sustainable urbanism.
• Heather Anderson posted some great money saving tips to her blog - in addition to coupon clipping, she suggests joining I-GO.
• New Home Notebook has a list of available condos that come with I-GO memberships - folks in the market should check it out.

Thanks guys. Blogs are sweet. Do you have one? Let us know.

Got Gas?

The rule of thumb here at I-GO is that if the gas tank reaches a quarter (or below) while you're out and about, you will need to stop and refuel the vehicle before returning it. We cover the cost of gas. You just need to put it in!

Each vehicle is equipped with a fuel card, which can be found in the keypad device in the glove box. When you swipe the gas card at the pump, you will be asked to enter two numbers: (1) the odometer and (2) the Driver ID (which is not your member number). The odometer reading can be found on the dash board of the car. The Driver ID will appear on the keypad screen when you remove the gas card. In order to make sure that it does show up on the screen, follow these simple steps:

1. Make sure the car is on
2. Turn off the vehicle, but keep the key in the ignition
3. Take the gas card out of the keypad (in glove box)
4. The Driver ID will appear on the keypad screen

If, after pulling the gas card out of the keypad, the screen stays blank or displays "1234"-- call our office (773.278.4446) and we can both provide you with the Driver ID and also reprogram the keypad so that the problem does not occur again. Happy Driving!

Save some green at these I-GO Chi-Town Rewards businesses!

Are you taking full advantage of our Chi Town Rewards program? All you have to do is flash your I-GO card at participating businesses and you'll receive a discount simply for being an I-GO member! We added 3 new Chi-Town Rewards businesses this month:






Green Dream Group
www.greendreamgroup.com
OFFER: 15% off home energy audit

*Home Energy Audits increase comfort and resale value, lower utility costs, and preserve the environment. Services: Blower Door, Infrared Thermographics, Utility Analysis, Energy Star Homes.






Lake Claremont Press
www.lakeclaremont.com
OFFER: Buy 2 books, get 1 free; buy 4 books, get 2 free; buy 5 books, get 3 free.

*A locally-owned publisher, specializing in books about Chicago and Chicago history, by Chicago authors with a passion and Chicago organizations with a mission.











Lillstreet Art Center
www.lillstreet.com
OFFER: 10% off class registration fees & gallery purchases

*A largy community of artists, open to all ages and skill levels. Lillstreet features 19 classrooms, over 50 studios, a gallery, story, cafe and more!

Check out the full list of participating businesses here.

I-GO/CTA buzz

Word is out about I-GO's collaboration with CTA - here's some coverage around the internet:

• MSNBC.com
• Contactless News
• CBS 2
• Progressive Railroading
• Yo Chicago (plus bonus classic YouTube interview with I-GO Business Development Manager Richard Kosmacher!)

CTA and I-GO team up

Hey everybody! Big news - today folks can sign up for the brand new Chicago Card Plus/I-GO Card. This card can be used to ride CTA trains and buses, Pace buses, and of course, I-GO cars. Not only does this make it easier for people to manage their transportation costs, but it is a recognition of car sharing as an extension of a sustainable transportation system.

Last minute shopping with I-GO!

Are you a last minute holiday shopper? Get in line.

But seriously, one of the easiest and most practical, yet unique and green gifts you can give this holiday season is an I-GO gift certificate for I-GO Car Sharing driving credits. Friends and family will love a gift of $25, $50, $75 or whatever you can spend, so they can get where they need to go in the New Year.

So stop procrastinating, and get those I-GO driving credits today!

CTA Charges Ahead in Cashless Transit

The front page of today’s Chicago Tribune featured an article on the CTA’s quest to combine their transit cards with riders’ credit cards. The CTA wants to offer riders the option to use their credit or debit cards on buses and trains in the near future; they plan to start soliciting bids from the major credit card companies in early 2009. According to CTA President Ron Huberman, they “believe this is where the market is heading, and we don’t want to be chasing it. We want to be leading it.”

What wasn’t mentioned in today’s article was the fact that I-GO is a part of these changes going on at the CTA. As we’ve previously mentioned, the CTA and I-GO will begin offering one card for both your CTA and I-GO use. This pilot program is set to roll out in late December. If you’re interested in being contacted when the program starts, click here to provide us with your contact info.

The vote yesterday? Rocked it.

Some big news, apparently - America picked a new president, a rather popular guy from Chicago, in fact. There was some party or something in over in Grant Park.

Kidding aside, among the many bits of historic and exciting news that came out of our TVs and computers last night was that first time voters were a huge factor in the outcome, especially the young and elderly.

A few of these folks from the South Side got to the polls in I-GO cars.

I-GO partnered with Rock The Vote and K.L.E.O. Community Center to help people vote and threw a "Party at the Polls" featuring performances by Robert Jones, The Youth for Christ, and the insanely talented Jessie White Tumblers, who would make terrific ninjas if anyone is hiring:





These guys rocked the vote - how did you?

I-GO Membership Drive: Edgewater

I-GO Membership Drive
Tues., Oct. 28, 5-7pm
6301 N. Sheridan Rd.

Hello, Edgewater! We recently added a new car at 6301 N. Sheridan Rd. (vehicle I.D. #4404), and I-GO staff will be there to answer all your questions about our service and to sign you up! Come for the membership sign-up discount (just $25 - a savings of $50 off the standard rate!), stay for the wine and cheese. Get a friend or family member to join, and we’ll give you $20 worth of driving credits!

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Vehicle Relocations

This week we relocated 2 I-GO vehicles.

Car #4511 (Blue Toyota Prius)
Old Location: 2136 W Damen Ave
New Location: 2154 W Wabansia


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Car #4500 (Silver Honda Civic)
Old Location: 1953-55 W Leland
New Location: 3200 N Lake Shore Dr.


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