We try to be green on the go biking, walking, and taking public transportation. Still, sometimes you just need a car for lugging groceries and making those weekend treks to IKEA.
Weve been using I-Go Car Sharing for the past few months and its changed our lives.
Run by the non-profit Center for Neighborhood Technology, I-Go owns a fleet of cars parked in various locations around Chicagoland. Members can locate and reserve a nearby car online and pay by the hour. Gas and insurance are included in the cost.
What are the green benefits?
According to their website, almost half of I-Go members got rid of their cars or postponed a purchase after joining. One quarter increased their walking, a little over 14 percent increased their biking, and just over 17 percent used more public transportation.
The folks at I-Go are so cutting edge, they even have a blog. Check it out here.
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Unfortunately, neither iGo nor ZipCar will accept you if you've had a moving violation in the last 3 years. So I'm still paying for the speeding ticket I got in September 2004.
No, I'm not blaming them for my ticket nor faulting them for their policy, but thought I'd mention it in case anyone else is in a similar situation.
view Anne in Chicago's profile
I looked into both I-Go and ZipCar before choosing ZipCar. At the time I signed up, I liked that I can choose different types of vehicles for different purposes (I-Go had a limited selection of vehicles). I also like that I can use ZipCar when I visit other cities. Very convenient for quick trips in NYC.
Not trying to dis I-Go, but it just didn't meet my needs at the time.
view Devyn's profile
We know many Zip Car users and have heard great things about them as well. We signed up for I-Go to support the Center for Neighborhood Technology, which helps to provide green solutions for the Chicago area. At first, we had to hike a little to find a nearby car, but I-Go has steadily added to their fleet and the car we now use is only half a block away from our apartment. Both I-Go and ZipCar offer good alternatives to car ownership -- we recommend checking both of them out before making a decision.
view sarah c's profile
I've been wanting to sign up for one of these car sharing companies. I'll probably go with I-Go since there seems to be more available on the North side of the city. Not so much with Zip.
view katie's profile
I use Zip Car and am a happy customer, but what I really love is the fact that car sharing is gaining momentum...no matter which service works better for folks, it is a great way to make a non-car-owning lifestyle work.
It's super easy access to a vehicle for those (actually pretty rare) occasions when you really want a car for an errand or day trip.
view janel's profile
Just to note, Zipcar's insurance is state minimums. So make sure you don't plan on having any notable liability in an accident or you could end up in the poorhouse with Zip...
http://www.felixsalmon.com/000562.html
http://www.felixsalmon.com/000855.html
view magnawave's profile