HOURCAR: Fresh, Local and Available at the Wedge

Co-op shoppers, staff, and neighborhood dwellers have a new way of getting around: HOURCAR car-sharing!

Located adjacent to the Wedge along 22nd Street, a gleaming new HOURCAR waits for your reservation. HOURCAR is a membership organization for people who don't own a car but need to use one occasionally to run errands, or for families who need a second set of wheels now and then. HOURCAR members make reservations online or by phone, pick up the car, drive, return the car to the same reserved parking space, lock it up, and walk away. Cars have onboard computers to record trip information and members are billed monthly. HOURCAR pays for gas, insurance, and parking. Members appreciate the convenience of having an on-demand car for the times they need it, without having to pay the overhead on a car that might sit unused for 23 hours of the day. Car-sharing can significantly cut household transportation costs when substituted for a privately-owned car.

Beyond cutting costs, HOURCAR is also a great choice for the planet. Research shows that car-sharing members bike, walk, and use transit more and drive less than non-sharers. Plus, each car-sharing vehicle takes several cars off the road as members sell their cars or avoid purchasing new ones. That means less air pollution, less traffic congestion, and less need to convert green spaces into parking lots.

To take the green benefits of car-sharing a step further, HOURCAR's entire fleet of cars are Toyota Priuses, gas-electric hybrids which sip about a gallon of gas for 55 miles of travel, and they produce 90% fewer emissions than the average new car.

Elizabeth Archerd, Member Services Director at the Wedge said, "The staff at the Wedge is thrilled to support HOURCAR. When asked if they objected to giving up a space in the staff parking lot, several responded by writing impassioned rationales for doing it! HOURCAR is part of the solution to the issues of transportation and pollution in the region."

In addition to serving Lowry Hill East residents who only need cars occasionally, HOURCAR is also a cost-effective alternative for area businesses. Employees can use HOURCARs by the hour to attend meetings or run work errands, freeing them to ride a bicycle or take transit to work.

The HOURCAR at the Wedge is one step towards the continued development of the network of shared cars in the Twin Cities. The program currently serves members with twelve new cars in Saint Paul and Minneapolis. Organizers predict that the HOURCAR network will eventually include 75 to 100 vehicles and up to 3,500 members.

Members may join today for only $50, which includes $25 of free driving for every new member. HOURCAR offers a variety of rate plans to meet members' needs, including pay-as-you-go service with a Go Plan, or a monthly f lat rate Smart Package.

HOURCAR members must meet basic requirements, including holding a valid driver's license for five years. Individual, household, and business memberships are available. For information on hub locations, rates, or to join online, please visit www.HOURCAR.org.

HOURCAR is a program of the nonprofit Neighborhood Energy Consortium, whose mission is to reduce pollution, conserve resources, and improve quality of life by offering tools for energy-efficient living.