Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
17.4
Implications of Shift from Personal to Communal
Ownership of Automobiles on Spatial Modeling
Rifkin's claim in 2000 on changes in automobile ownership behavior is now being
realized in many cities in the world. He wrote, “In an era where the automobile has
been central to our way of life, our economy, and our sense of personal identity, its
metamorphosis from something people own to something they lease is a sign of the
dramatic changes taking place in the organizing of economic relationships (Rifkin
2000
, p. 74).”
“Carsharing began in Switzerland and Germany in the 1990s and spread to the
United States via Portland, OR, in 1998. By 2012, there were more than 806,000
members in over 26 carsharing organizations in the United States.”
12
Robin Chase,
co-founder of Zipcar, said, “I don't think Americans have forgotten how to share,
and now as the cost of owning your own car has increased, the desire to share has
gone up.”
13
Zipcar provides car sharing and car club service as an alternative to traditional
car rental and car ownership. In fact, in 170 plus cities in the world Zipcar services
available as of May 2013.
14
A similar service is being provided in Madison, WI,
called Community Car. Community Car is a Madison-based carsharing company
that rents cars by the hour to individuals and organizations. Members share access
to a fleet of high gas mileage vehicles located in reserved parking spaces throughout
the city.
15
In fact, carsharing has helped reduce the number of cars in an urban area and
supported a shift away from automobile dependency and towards sustainable mobil-
ity. A recent study (Martin and Shaheen
2011
) found that between 9-13 vehicles
have been either eliminated or avoided (not purchased) for every carsharing vehicle
in the fleet.
16
The study also found that on average, drivers traded vehicles with a fuel
economy of 23 mpg for the use of shared vehicles with a fuel economy of 33 mpg.
While car sharing organizations offer a variety of vehicle types to members, the
majority are highly efficient hybrids, sedans, and compact cars.
Among many implications of the popular use of carsharing, elimination of 9-13
vehicles is very significant impacts on land use since it means the possibility of
using 9-13 parking spaces for alternative purposes such as open space, if not opt for
other activities, particularly in the urban area where land is one of the scarcest
resources.
12
http://www.communitycar.com/faq/
.
Accessed on June 25, 2013.
13
http://www.mnn.com/green-tech/transportation/stories/communal-cars
.
Accessed on April
25, 2013.
14
http://www.zipcar.com
.
Accessed on May 1, 2013.
15
http://www.communitycar.com/
.
Accessed on June 25, 2013.
16
Martin, Elliot and Susan Shaheen, The Impact of Carsharing on Household Vehicle Ownership,
Access, 2011, No. 38, accessed Internet site,
http://www.uctc.net/access/38/access38_carsharing_
ownership.pdf
on June 23, 2013.
