DDOT to Bring Car Sharing to Washington, DC
New Curbside Program to Provide DC Residents with Unparalleled Access to Nearly 200 Zipcars in Eight Wards
WASHINGTON, Oct. 18 -- Zipcar, consistently recognized for offering the nation's leading car sharing experience, today announced that the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is bringing a cost-effective alternative to car ownership to more local neighborhoods by reserving dedicated curbside spaces for car sharing vehicles. As part of a new DDOT program, 27 new on-street parking locations in eight wards will be initially designated for Zipcar vehicles, bringing the total number of Zipcars in Metro DC to nearly 200. These additions to the Zipcar fleet will be located throughout the Adams Morgan and Capitol Hill neighborhoods, as well as low- income areas where the relative cost and burden of car ownership is higher.
The on-street car sharing program is designed to provide District residents, businesses and over 13,000 local Zipcar members with an environmentally-friendly alternative to car ownership that reduces traffic and parking congestion in Washington, DC. Unique District signage will identify the new on-street, restricted-access locations. The spaces will be occupied by a variety of the 20+ makes and models Zipcar offers, including the ultra low- emission Mazda 3, Toyota Hybrid Prius and Scion xB.
"Car sharing meets many of DDOT's goals: it reduces traffic congestion, air pollution and demand for parking, while meeting the increasing demand for alternative forms of transportation," said Dan Tangherlini, Director of the Department of Transportation.
DDOT follows Arlington County in creating an on-street car sharing program with Zipcar. Arlington began a pilot program in 2004, and, due to its success, earlier this year expanded the program to make car sharing a permanent transportation initiative. The Arlington pilot showed that convenient neighborhood locations, when combined with Zipcar's leading customer experience, led to accelerated adoption of this exciting new category of transportation. DDOT will likely expand the curbside parking program after an initial implementation phase.
"Together, Zipcar and DDOT will provide significant lifestyle enhancements for all residents within the District," said Gabe Klein, Regional Vice President of Zipcar. "The average Zipcar takes over 20 privately owned vehicles off the streets, while the average car sharing member walks, rides bikes and uses public transportation more often than the typical car owner. This program is a big step towards making our neighborhoods an even better, healthier and more affordable place to live and work."
According to a recent transportation survey, executed in conjunction with Arlington County, Zipcar members save significant money on transportation costs and drive 3,850 miles less each year compared to car owners, and half of the respondents in the study said they agreed or strongly agreed with the statements "I walk more often," and "I use public transit more often." Seventy percent of respondents also agreed or strongly agreed that car sharing "saves money on transportation" and has allowed them to put off purchasing a first or second vehicle.
With this announcement, DDOT joins other successful municipal and transit- supported Zipcar car sharing programs including partnerships with Arlington County, Washington Metro Area Transit Authority, Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York and the Town of Brookline and the City of Cambridge, both located in Massachusetts.
Additional details of the survey and high-resolution photographs of this curbside program are available by contacting Kristina.Kennedy@rfbinder.com.
About Zipcar
Zipcar (http://www.zipcar.com/) was founded in 1999. Since 2000, when Zipcars first hit the road, 50,000 consumers and business drivers ages 21+ have joined. Zipcar currently operates over 800 vehicles in nine states and 28 cities, including Boston, New York City, San Francisco and Washington, DC. In July 2005, Zipcar secured $10 million in funding, led by Benchmark Capital, to begin aggressive expansion to become the country's first national car sharing service. As part of this expansion, Zipcar recently launched West Coast operations, with plans to bring its service to additional major metropolitan areas in the near future.
