Davis doctoral candidate Susan Shaheen, a researcher at UCD's Institute of Transportation Studies, is the CarLink manager. Car sharing could make more efficient use of mass transit. Fewer cars would be shared by many people, some of them car-pooling in a CarLink vehicle to the train in the morning. Finally, day users will drive the cars for work or personal use once they get to the lab and deposit them back there by the end of the workday. The charges in this test are about the same as they would be for an actual commuter program of this type.
Car sharing is a concept that has been prevalent in Europe for years.
The first car-sharing organization was founded in Switzerland in 1948. Today, there are more than 200 such organizations from Scotland to Austria. Shaheen studied those programs, traveling extensively in Europe. Also, an electronic key box handles billing, reservations and allows for access to car keys without the need of an attendant. Sacramento residents, too, might someday be sharing more than a seat on the light rail.