[SustainableTompkins] MEDIA RELEASE: Ithaca Carshare vehicles available Wednesday

[Ithaca Carshare - Jennifer]

MEDIA RELEASE: Ithaca Carshare vehicles available Wednesday

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. Details on costs and an application form are 
available at www.IthacaCarshare.org.

"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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For more information, including interviews with Ithaca Carshare staff, 
board members, or founding members, or attendance at orientation 
sessions, contact Executive Director Jennifer Dotson (607-277-3210, 
jennifer at ithacacarshare.org).

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Jennifer Dotson
Executive Director
Ithaca Carshare, Inc.
www.ithacacarshare.org (607) 277-3210
P.O. Box 418, Ithaca, NY 14851-0418

24/7 access to a fleet of vehicles on a per-hour basis
a locally controlled service enhancing community access to transportation while reducing negative environmental and economic impacts