The project is inspired by dozens of car-sharing projects already successfully controlling the impact of the automobile and helping people get around in Europe and Canada. Switzerland's Mobility Car Share has close to 40,000 members, and offers a free rail and bus pass with every membership. Members can take cars on an hourly or a daily basis, to fit the exact length of their trip. Cars are kept in small neighborhood lots, within easy walking distance. When members want to use one, they call the 800 number and reserve it.
Members save money on insurance, maintenance, repairs, registration, and monthly payments.
At the end of the month, they receive a bill in the mail, like any other utility. The logic of car sharing is this individual car ownership encourages use. The added costs of each extra trip are small when compared to the amount of money they've already spent just to own the car. For the environment, that translates into reduced emissions, less fossil fuel consumption, and less waste from manufacturing new cars. For San Francisco, it means greater ridership of public transportation, less space devoted to roads and parking lots, and more space available for the things that make our city great.