Carsharing

Want to run errands at lunch? Have a business meeting? Spouse has the car for the day? Try carsharing.

A carsharing membership is a great resource for people who occasionally need a car, but don't want the expense and trouble of car ownership. For families, carsharing can eliminate the need for a second car. For businesses, participation in a carsharing program can reduce or eliminate the need to store and maintain company cars, or to require employees to bring their personal cars to work.

Carsharing Providers

Car2Go
Car2Go has a fleet of distinctive blue and white Smart Fortwo vehicles located all over Washington, D.C. There are no designated stations. Members locate cars with a web or smartphone app and use their member card to get in. Rates are by the minute, with no set return time. At the end of the trip, members can park almost anywhere in D.C.

Hertz On Demand
Hertz On Demand is a self-service car rental program, offering members 24/7 vehicle access to a variety of cars. Rental is by the hour or by the day.

Zipcar
Hundreds of Zipcars are parked in convenient locations throughout the area. Members reserve a nearby car online or by phone, then use an electronic membership card to unlock the car. The rental period can be as little as thirty minutes. Members return the car to the same reserved parking spot where they picked it up. Zipcar members can also use their membership in the many other cities Zipcar serves.

Peer-to-Peer Carsharing

Rather than maintain a fleet of vehicles, Peer-to-Peer carsharing programs provide the means for car owners to rent out their personal vehicles.

Getaround
Rent a car from someone nearby.

Relay Rides
Rent cars from people near you.

Carsharing Resources

Arlington's Car-Free Diet Carsharing page

Arlington Transportation Partners Car Sharing page

Commuter Connections 2008 Carshare Survey Report
(PDF, 1.2 MB, Adobe Reader required.
Nicholas Ramfos and Lori Diggins, January 27, 2009, Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments
This report presents the results of the regional Carshare Survey conducted for the Commuter Connec- tions program administered by the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board (TPB) at the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG).

Offer Travel Options for Every Trip — Give Everyone Choices
Howard Jennings, February 1, 2007, Mobility Lab
Surveys show that the option of carsharing motivates commuters to use transit more often (40% to 54% agree), helps commuters save money on transportation (62% to 70% agree), and motivates them to walk more often (37% to 54% agree).

2006 Arlington Carshare Program Study
June 15, 2006, Arlington County Commuter Services, Mobility Lab
This research study was the follow-up tracking wave to the initial Pilot Carshare Study conducted in April 2005. Since then, the Arlington County Carshare Program has become a permanent transportation service. This study measured Carshare Members’ feelings and opinions of the program. The results helped assess the overall effectiveness of the Carshare program.

2005 Arlington Pilot Carshare Program First-Year Report
April 15, 2005, Arlington County Commuter Services, Mobility Lab
In March 2004, the Arlington County Commuter Services (ACCS) unit of the Department of Environmental Services partnered with the two carshare companies —Flexcar and Zipcar—to provide expanded carshare services and promotions called the Arlington Pilot Carshare Program. This report documents the success of the program, and makes the case for replicating the program in other Arlington urban villages to make it a permanent part of the transportation landscape in Arlington.