Horror at the Pump leads to Car Sharing?

By Anthony Todd in News on Jun 2, 2008 5:25PM

Over the past few months, the rising gas prices have been bumming us out. At first, we were just resigned to pay more to travel, but then the credit card bills arrived and the full scope of what we had done finally hit us square in the jaw. So, in order to avoid total insolvency, we’ve been looking hard for some alternatives. The CTA always beckons, but especially when we’re carrying full bags of groceries, the appeal of a crowded bus is somewhat limited. [Ed note: Old-lady shopping cart!]

Apparently, we’re not the only person to have gone down this road. Car sharing programs, in which you pay a startup-fee and then an hourly rate for use of a car, have experienced a fairly dramatic rise in the past few months. According to the Sun Times, I-Go gained 1000 members in the past three months and of a 178 new Zipcar members surveyed, a significant portion claimed gas prices as their reason for signing up.

Of the two, we prefer I-Go. It’s a locally owned non-profit company, and its rates are a bit more reasonable. They also offer a few “budget plans” with a monthly fee to buy a fixed number of hours/miles. Lastly, for the night owls, they offer very cheap rates between midnight and 6 A.M. However, if you want to chose your type car and fit it to the occasion (like a sports car for a hot date) Zipcar is for you.

Photo by supafly