Car-sharing Bostonians save $8,000 annually on transportation and free city
space equivalent of 25 hometown ballparks
BOSTON, Sept. 19,
2023 /PRNewswire/ -- September
22nd marks the worldwide initiative "Car-Free
Day," which encourages motorists to take a break from driving and
explore environmentally-friendly options like mass transit, biking,
scooters and walking. According to a new survey from Zipcar, the
world's leading car-sharing company headquartered in Boston, a
segment of Bostonians, those who share a car (compared to personal
car owners), significantly contribute to the environmental and
social health of Boston by
eliminating additional cars, traffic, parking competition and
carbon emissions from the city. In fact, 30% of Zipcar members in
Boston ditched their personal car
after joining Zipcar, eliminating an estimated 16,000 vehicles from
city streets.
"As the cost of car ownership rises and parking becomes
increasingly competitive in neighborhoods, especially with college
students moving to town, Bostonians are looking to car sharing as a
cost-effective and convenient way to drive a car when they need
one," said Angelo Adams, head of
Zipcar. "A little-known byproduct of car sharing is that it
eliminates personally owned vehicles from city streets, which
reduces congestion, carbon emissions and competition for parking on
the curb. Who wants the hassle of car payments and to circle the
block around the Fenway neighborhood? No one!"
The Impact of Car Sharing on Boston
Founded in 2000, Zipcar is driven by a mission: to enable simple
and responsible urban living by reducing personal car ownership.
For over twenty years, Zipcar has supported Boston's diverse communities, city livability,
and the global environment with socially responsible, sustainable
transportation. According to Zipcar's new North American
Transportation Survey, car-sharing Bostonians are wicked smart and
take the suitable transportation mode (walking, biking, transit,
car sharing) for the right trip, saving money and supporting
sustainable urban living at a higher rate than the average
resident. Of note:
- Car sharers eliminate congestion on Boston's streets. Boston is one of
the top four cities with the most congested roads worldwide,
according to INRIX. Those who share cars are not to blame
for this unwanted title: 81% of Boston Zipcar members do not own a
vehicle, and 44% would buy a vehicle (10% would buy two or more) if
Zipcar disappeared, releasing an estimated 31,000 vehicles (and
their carbon emissions) onto Boston's streets, roughly a parking lot the
size of the entire Seaport District.
- Boston shared fleet frees
space equivalent to 25 hometown ballparks and more! Each
Zipcar is estimated to replace up to 13 vehicles in Boston. With a fleet of more than 1,000
vehicles, including eco-friendly hybrids and electric vehicles,
Zipcar enables over 3.2 million square feet of free space, or the
spatial equivalent of 49 miles of protected bike lanes, 25 hometown
ballparks, four professional basketball arenas, one and a half
Boston Commons or half of the North End!
Who are Boston's car-sharing
citizens?
- Car sharing is for all Bostonians. Of its
Boston membership base, 49%
identify as BIPOC, 85% live in multi-family housing, and 48% have a
household income lower than the national median income of
$67,500.
- Boston car sharers embrace
the "car-free" lifestyle. Boston Zipcar members report walking,
riding bikes and taking mass transit and driving Zipcars only when
truly needed, embracing environmentally-friendly transportation
options more than the average resident: 214 walking trips annually
(17% more than the average resident), 38 biking trips annually
(twice as much as the average resident, 41% higher than
New York members); and 141 transit
trips annually (59% more than the average resident).
- Car sharing saves Bostonians approximately $8,000 annually. According to AAA, the annual
cost of new car ownership totals a record high of over $10,000. Boston Zipcar members spend far less
annually on total transportation costs than the national average.
The average Boston resident's
annual household transportation cost totals $12,187. In contrast, a Zipcar member's annual
household transportation cost totals $3,478, netting more than 70% savings that can be
used for housing, childcare or leisure, etc.
Zipcar provides 24/7 on-demand, self-service access to vehicles
by the hour, day or week in convenient urban, college or business
locations with gas or electric charging, insurance options,
maintenance and dedicated parking included, making it a more
cost-effective and sustainable option than personal car ownership.
Standard memberships are $9 a month
or $90 a year, with driving rates
starting from $12.50/hour and
$103/day. For a limited time, the
first month of membership is free with code MONTHOFF. Learn
more at www.zipcar.com.
About the Zipcar North American Transportation
Survey
Zipcar-specific data was collected as part of
Zipcar's North American Transportation Survey, a survey with a
sample size of approximately 6,800 respondents in North America, 985 identified as Bostonians.
Industry-specific data was made possible by Zipcar's partners at
Sam Schwartz Consulting and credible third-party industry
leaders.
About Zipcar
Zipcar is the world's leading car-sharing
network, driven by a mission to enable simple and responsible urban
living. With its wide variety of self-service vehicles available by
the hour, day or week, Zipcar operates in urban areas and
university campuses in hundreds of cities, towns, and universities.
Zipcar is a subsidiary of Avis Budget Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: CAR), a
leading global transportation solutions provider. More information
is available at www.zipcar.com.
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SOURCE Zipcar