PUBLIC TRANSIT/Driving traffic alternatives

Arlington County, Va., a suburb of Washington, D.C., has begun promoting car-sharing services to residents as a way to reduce traffic congestion and expand mobility for transit passengers. The county is encouraging commuters to reduce their personal vehicle use by taking transit and by joining a car-sharing program that allows them to use one of 27 cars for an hourly fee.

Although Arlington County has a rich mix of public transportation options — including 11 Metrorail stations, Metrobus lines and Arlington Transit bus services — county leaders knew it had a “missing link” that mass transit could not fill. Residents use buses and trains frequently to commute, run errands and shop, but sometimes they need cars for special trips.

To reduce the need for residents to own automobiles, Arlington County Commuter Services (ACCS), part of the Division of Transportation’s Transit Program, worked with two private car-sharing companies — Seattle-based Flexcar and Cambridge, Mass.-based Zipcar — to expand car sharing in the county. Car sharing has its roots in Europe, where 400 cities have adopted such programs over the last 15 years. In the U.S., car sharing is growing in several cities, including Portland, Ore.; San Francisco; and Seattle.

To participate in Arlington County’s program, participants pay a $25 annual membership fee and receive a coded keycard to access any of the vehicles. They can reserve specific vehicles online or by phone and pay $7 to $9 per hour depending on monthly use. A variety of vehicles are available, including Honda Civic hybrids, Ford Rangers, Mini Coopers, and BMWs. Each car has a fuel card inside that allows users to fill up the gas tank if it falls below one-quarter full. Users have to return the automobiles to the specific parking spaces where they picked them up.

Car sharing helps promote ACCS’s mission to reduce traffic congestion by encouraging residents to reduce the number of cars on local roads. By providing vehicles for community use, officials expect some residents to stop using their personal vehicles and rely more on transit and car sharing. “Car sharing fits perfectly with Arlington’s integrated approach to transportation,” says Barbara Favola, chairman of the Arlington County Board. “We want to make it easier for folks to get around without owning a car. Adding more car-sharing vehicles helps accomplish this goal.”

Before the pilot program launched in late March, the county had only 12 car-share vehicles. The pilot program introduced an additional 15 new vehicles for a total of 27, which is the highest per capita in the region. The 15 new cars are concentrated in the two-mile-long Rosslyn-Ballston Metrorail Corridor to serve the greatest number of users.

Previously, all the car-share vehicles in Arlington County and throughout the Metropolitan D.C. region were located in private lots. Arlington County parks its cars on the street to test the theory that the more visible the cars and signs are, the more successful the car share program will be. The county reserved on-street parking spaces within one block of Metrorail stations for the vehicles. Parking meters were removed and replaced with 12-foot-tall, bright orange sign posts with information about the program and cards that include maps and information on how to join it.

To encourage participation, ACCS and the car-share companies are waiving application fees and are giving members $35 credits for usage fees. Businesses receive additional discounts to encourage them to promote the service to their employees.

ACCS and the two car-share companies will determine the success of the pilot program by measuring the effects of car sharing on parking, trip reduction, traffic congestion and transit use. Since the program’s launch, more than 300 people have joined the program, and daily car use hours have doubled.