With so many options to carshare in Metro Vancouver, many local drivers are exploring alternatives to traditional car ownership. So it’s no surprise to learn that Vancouver has more carsharing vehicles per capita than any other North American city. About 3,000 carshare vehicles traverse our busy streets – more than other West Coast trailblazers such as Seattle, Portland and San Francisco.
Everyone has their reasons for carsharing. A survey of Modo members indicates that affordability is the number one reason for joining. Whereas according to a Vancity survey, convenience was identified by 95% of respondents as a reason they carshare. Saving money was cited by another 62%, while older carshare members and people living on Vancouver Island were most likely to cite the environment as a reason to carshare.
Here are my top five reasons to carshare in Vancouver:
1. Save money
Let’s face it, living in Vancouver is an expensive proposition. Next to housing, transportation is the second largest fixed cost for most. According to BCAA, the average cost to own and operate a car in BC is roughly $9,500 a year. That’s nearly $800 per month that could be going towards your rent or mortgage. When you carshare, you pay only when you need it, not when you don’t. So why own a car (or a second car), when you can share thousands around town.
2. Tread lightly
Carsharing – especially round-trip/two-way services like Modo – reduces traffic congestion, greenhouse gas emissions and the need for so much parking. Every time a two-way carshare vehicle is added to a community, 9 to 13 privately-owned ones are removed from our streets. The Vancity carsharing survey revealed that more than one-quarter of 4,050 survey respondents disposed of at least one private vehicle as a result of carsharing. Given most people’s cars sit idle 95% of the time, our green spaces will thank you!
3. Right-size your trip
One of the reasons carshare vehicles reduce greenhouse gas emissions is their ability to right-size the trip. If you only need a pickup truck a few times a year, why own one when a small compact vehicle fits the job most the time. Some carshares offer different types of vehicles, so you can get the one that best suits your needs. With Modo, you can grab a cargo van for moving day or a hybrid hatchback for the movies.
4. Have a backup plan
I often cycle to work (yes, all the way from Port Moody to downtown!) or take transit. Friends tell me they wish they could do the same, but tend to drive to work in case they need to rush home or visit a client. Carsharing makes it easier for you to leave your car at home and commute to work – by foot, bike or transit – because there are so many shared one-way and two-way vehicles around the city to grab during the workday, just in case.
5. Support a local co-op
There are several carsharing players in town. Car2go and Evo for quick one-way, do-it-yourself-taxi type trips, and Modo and Zipcar for longer two-way/round-trips. By choosing Modo, you’ll also be supporting the only local carshare co-op in town (learn more about co-ops).
| Vancity member perk |
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| Vancity members get $50 in FREE drive time when they join Modo by entering the promo code “VANCITY50”. |
| Sign up for Modo today. |
