Author Topic: Car-sharing services in Greater Cleveland (Read 10849 times)

blinker12 · « **on:** October 19, 2005, 05:31:06 AM »

I went to an exciting breakfast this morning hosted by the Civic Innovation Lab, an entrepreneur-incubation project that awards $30,000 grants for new, civic-minded business ideas in the city of Cleveland, and provides grantees with mentors to guide them in devising a business plan. (http://www.civicinnovationlab.org)
One of this year's funded projects is CityWheels, a for-profit car-sharing business being developed by Ryan McKenzie of EcoCity Cleveland. It's a car-sharing program that city residents can join for a $100 membership fee. Members will have a fleet of 50-75 hybrid cars available for use 24/7, at a rate of $8.50 per hour including gas and insurance. The idea is that members will be able to walk to a car within five minutes from their home.
McKenzie will unveil the program this January in Ohio City, then have a "grand opening" in April, when cars will be available in the Warehouse District, St. Clair-Superior and other neighborhoods.
Similar programs have met with success in cities such as Boston and San Francisco; Cleveland's fleet will be smaller than in those cities.
See http://www.citywheelscleveland.com for more information.
The other projects discussed at the breakfast were also quite exciting but don't really fit here! There truly are some fantastic things going on in this city.

MayDay · « **Reply #1 on:** October 19, 2005, 05:34:48 AM »

(Insert the Hallejuah chorus)

Except... I have to wait until April?

And I clicked on that link - I hope I don't have to wait until April for that to work!

Ewoops · « **Reply #2 on:** October 19, 2005, 07:24:20 AM »

Blinker, I was at the breakfast this morning as well. It really was invigorating.

DaninDC · « **Reply #3 on:** October 19, 2005, 08:46:04 AM »

This is great for Cleveland. I have to express some skepticism, though. First, the membership fee is way high. ZipCar charges an annual $25 membership fee (and $25 for the one-time record check). Hourly rates are the same at $8.50. Second, car-sharing works well in the DC area (among others), but we have a strong transit system. It's not as easy to go car-free in Cleveland, although this is a step in the right direction.

There needs to be a commitment from the City to reserve designated parking spots on the street for the car-sharing vehicles. I know that in my area, some governments such as Arlington County and Alexandria (both in Virginia) have offered to pay the $25 sign-up fee for their residents. That might be nice to see from the City of Cleveland too.

blinker12 · « **Reply #4 on:** October 19, 2005, 10:01:23 AM »

MayDay, I know they're working on the Web site but I'm not sure when it'll officially launch. I saw some of the designs today, and they look quite snappy.

DaninDC, McKenzie mentioned today that he's aware this kind of program will be a greater risk in Cleveland than it would be in a denser city, like DC. But he's setting modest goals for success, at least initially, and he has some good people behind him (i.e., the innovation lab). I'm not sure where the $100 membership fee comes from; perhaps it has to do with the relatively modest demand anticipated here (resulting in a need to charge more).

MayDay · « **Reply #5 on:** October 19, 2005, 10:05:12 AM »

As a car-free Clevelander who is frothing at the mouth - I think $100 is perfectly reasonable and I'd write a check today if I could. Just a guess but maybe they're testing the waters in an area that's more car-dependent?

I look at it this way - if I were to go to Enterprise and use their "Weekend Special" which is 50% off weekend rentals - the cost is (give or take):

1. Approx. $20 per day (50% off $40.00 each day) = $60.00
2. Full Coverage for insurance (CDW@$10, SLP@$10, PAI@$5 each day) = $75.00
3. Gas (10 gallons @ $2.50) = $25.00
4. Taxes... who knows

That's over $150 right there and that's for ONE weekend. I'll still be doing cartwheels when the service starts! I could still take a taxi from my place to Ohio City for under $10, pick up my CityWheels car and still be well under the money I'd spend on a full-blown rental. A $100 membership fee? Bring it on!!!

X · « **Reply #6 on:** October 19, 2005, 12:43:50 PM »

I've seen this type of program be wildly successful in cities like Seattle and Portland. It can definitely work in non-East Coast style cities. 50-75 cars isn't a particularly small fleet, either, at least to start.

DaninDC · « **Reply #7 on:** October 20, 2005, 03:34:17 AM »

Duly noted, blinker. I think it would be nice to see some commitment from the City, though, to promote alternate forms of transportation. Despite living in Shaker Square, Mayor Jane seems hellbent on everyone driving more more and more. Perhaps they can persuade RTA to allow shared cars to be parked at rapid stations. The City could allow reserved street parking near key bus terminals.

metrocity · « **Reply #8 on:** October 20, 2005, 04:57:17 AM »

$100 doesn't seem too unreasonable to me, esp if there is no per mile charge. It is definitely cheaper than renting.

Chicago has I-Go which I have thought about using, but don't currently. The main use would be groceries for most people, and I am lucky to have a full service Jewel/Osco store in walking distance...or I order delivery online with Peapod. If I didn't have those options, I'd probably join. Friends of mine really like it.

1. Pay-As-You-Go Plan
$75 membership, $6 an hour and .50 a mile

2. GO 25 Plan
$225 a month, includes 25 hours and 250 miles. Anything over this amount will be billed at $6 an hour and .50 a mile.

3. GO 50 Plan
$425 a month, includes 50 hours and 500 miles. Anything over this amount will be billed at $6 an hour and.50 a mile.

4. GO 100 Plan
$850 a month, includes 100 hours and 1000 miles. Anything over this amount will be billed at $6 an hour and .50 a mile.

MayDay · « **Reply #9 on:** October 20, 2005, 05:29:01 AM »

I don't understand why they wouldn't add something between pay-as-you-go and the GO 25 plan. Honestly, a car payment on a used car can run around $200 and the idea is to convince people that they don't need a car. Something like 10 hours and 100 miles - enough to do errands once a weekend. And can someone explain the logic of the GO 50 and 100 plans???

KJP · « **Reply #10 on:** October 20, 2005, 05:57:53 AM »

^Maybe that's for the Ferrari and the Bugati

KJP

metrocity · « **Reply #11 on:** October 20, 2005, 06:23:34 AM »

Quote

I don't understand why they wouldn't add something between pay-as-you-go and the GO 25 plan.

You're right, they should have something between those plans.

Quote

And can someone explain the logic of the GO 50 and 100 plans???

50 might make sense because after a car payment, parking(average $200 a month), insurance, repairs, maintenance and gas, it stills comes out cheaper than owning if you are going to use a car that much(think maybe an artist that travels to shows, or a massage therapist that does house calls and brings trhe table). Plus your cost is fixed monthly, can be budgeted and you have a new and reliable car, unlike owning a used car. I add the cost of parking because the locations are generally in neighborhoods where parking is a nightmare and you most likely will end up renting a space.

As far as the 100...If you live in the city and depend on a car that much...you need to move because you aren't getting the urban lifestyle at all.

DaninDC · « **Reply #12 on:** October 21, 2005, 07:38:02 AM »

Perhaps the pricier plans are geared for businesses? Car sharing might be an option that's cheaper than taking cabs if you're not located close to a transit stop.

mrnyc · « **Reply #13 on:** December 05, 2005, 07:08:28 AM »

the funky urban car-sharing trend has arrived on the local scene. niiiice work!

link:
http://www.citywheelscleveland.com/

MayDay · « **Reply #14 on:** December 05, 2005, 07:29:07 AM »

Can't wait for it to get here - although I saw on the Hotel Bruce blog that the cars won't be in Cleveland until March, but the site says "early 2006"? Hopefully they'll clear that up and we can get rolling!

blinker12 · « **Reply #15 on:** December 05, 2005, 07:35:14 AM »

The site looks just fantastic. Nice job, Ryan McKenzie and company...

Map Boy · « **Reply #16 on:** December 05, 2005, 02:14:25 PM »

Great site! Word on the streets is that the first cars will be in Ohio City and Oberlin...well-picked!

X · « **Reply #17 on:** December 05, 2005, 02:44:25 PM »

The site says there will be two cars in Ohio City to start in early 2006. From what I've seen, it is quite possible with a few years of expansion to get some seriously decent coverage in some of a region's denser neighborhoods.

Locations under consideration:
Near Market Avenue and West 26th Street
Near St. Patrick’s Church on Bridge Avenue and West 38th Street
Near Lutheran Hospital on West 25th Street
Near the Federal Knitting Mills building on Detroit

They are accepting input on where future cars should go: Ideas@CityWheelsCleveland.com

I think that Downtown and U.Circle should be the next two places. Actually, I am surprised they didn't start there.

CityWheels · « **Reply #18 on:** January 20, 2006, 05:55:08 AM »

We're launching in Oberlin on February 7th with two cars, in part because the College agreed to grants and subsidies. By mid-March we'll have a car in Ohio City, Coventry, Shaker Square and the W 117th/Clifton area, with additional cars to follow in those locations as demand grows. We'll get to downtown Cleveland by May 1st (aiming for six cars if capitalization allows), and we're in discussion with University Circle institutions. In total, we're aiming for 15-20 vehicles in 2006, and at least that many more in 2007, and continuing our efforts to cover all the likely neighborhoods with an increasingly dense network.

We didn't want to tackle downtown until we had a least a few months of operational experience -- we figure Oberlin customers and the early neighborhood customers will be more forgiving of any startup glitches than corporate clients downtown. We're also aiming to find free parking, and that's easier to get outside of downtown.

BTW, though we'll have 0/5/10/25-hour monthly plans, we'll also offer a 50-hour plan -- suitable for a household with several drivers, or a business with several employees. The same logic applies to the i-Go 100-hour plan -- one billing plan, many individual customers.

Ryan McKenzie - CityWheels
www.citywheelscleveland.com

MayDay · « **Reply #19 on:** January 20, 2006, 06:32:26 AM »

Ryan, welcome to the forum! Everything sounds great, especially the selection of those four neighborhoods - keep up the great work!

Gotta ask - is your online application working? I sent my info over a week ago and haven't heard anything, though I know these things take time

KJP · « **Reply #20 on:** January 20, 2006, 10:38:20 AM »

Welcome to the forum, Ryan! Glad to see you're aboard.

I owe you a phone call about CityWheels, though I'm going to have to call you after I get back to the office from a working vacation Feb 6.

X · « **Reply #21 on:** January 21, 2006, 06:06:36 AM »

Welcome to the forum! Your decision not to start in downtown makes alot of sense now that you explain it.

Your planned growth rate is pretty impressive, too. I take it that from what you've said about your plans, your goal is to create a few viable "car sharing neighborhoods" with multiple options, more so than to expand to the greatest number of neighborhoods?

Is there any reason why the EcoVillage isn't going to be one of the test neighborhoods? Carsharing seems like such a natural fit. Is it just not developed enough, yet?

At any rate, good luck. This is a really great program.

urbanlife · « **Reply #22 on:** February 09, 2006, 04:31:38 AM »

From today's PD,
http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/lorain/113947780286740.xml&coll=2

Car-sharing plan starts rolling at Oberlin College
Thursday, February 09, 2006
Carl Matzelle
Plain Dealer Reporter
Oberlin

-- CityWheels, a car-sharing program for occasional drivers, will take its first spin around the block today at Oberlin College.

The Cleveland-based company, partnering with the college and a student environmental group, is the first of its type in Ohio, CityWheels founder Ryan McKenzie said.

Map Boy · « **Reply #23 on:** February 09, 2006, 05:59:11 AM »

Fantastic! I like that Oberlin is subsidizing membership for its students. I have a friend who is going to be in Oberlin for a conference in a month and this may prove to be a viable option while she's in town. She can borrow the car for the day and come hang out in Cleveland! I wonder if Oberlin is considering this at all?

noozer · « **Reply #24 on:** July 17, 2006, 05:56:13 AM »

Here's a link to a pdf file on how Arlington, Virginia's car-sharing program is working and apparently very well.

http://www.commuterpage.com/pdfdocs/ArlCo_CarshareReport_2006.pdf

3231 · « **Reply #25 on:** July 17, 2006, 06:31:30 AM »

I heard that it is expanding and will place two cars in University Circle.

X · « **Reply #26 on:** July 17, 2006, 08:41:55 AM »

Is there an updated list of locations? I couldn't find one on their website. It did have an announcement for a new location at the Tower Press downtown, though.

Map Boy · « **Reply #27 on:** July 17, 2006, 11:23:39 AM »

Wimwar beat me to the punch! Yes, two new cars in University Circle, which I can see expanding in the not-too-distant future if they're successful...that's just my optimistic opinion, though!

Are we on pace to see 20 cars by the end of the year?

ps: I've yet to see anyone but Ryan actually driving one of these!

peabody99 · « **Reply #28 on:** July 17, 2006, 11:38:26 AM »

^ I believe I saw some other than Ryan driving it on Lorain today, although I could be wrong.

musky · « **Reply #29 on:** July 17, 2006, 03:25:43 PM »

He hasn't been on for a while now, but Ryan has told me he would like to have at least another car at CSU... but not until there is a little more critical student mass - in other words, three to five years.

noozer · « **Reply #30 on:** August 27, 2006, 04:45:33 AM »

Car-sharing service on roll
CityWheels rents cars in Cleveland, Oberlin to people who occasionally need ride
By Bob Downing
Beacon Journal staff writer

CLEVELAND - Chris Trepal has become a firm believer in car sharing.

``It's wonderful,'' she says. ``It's easy to use. We haven't found a downside yet.... It's made a big change in our small office.''

Trepal is director of the Earth Day Coalition. She and her five fellow eco-group employees now rent CityWheels vehicles several times a week to get to meetings around the Cleveland area.

http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/15373855.htm

Map Boy · « **Reply #31 on:** August 28, 2006, 01:55:19 PM »

Well, unfortunately, the two cars in University Circle are the cars from Ohio City and Coventry. But hey, they're new and they're figuring out what works best for the startup. Plus, they're still optimistic that these cars will be restored in the near future. It's all about building up membership and use in core locations first.

FrqntFlyr · « **Reply #32 on:** August 28, 2006, 02:59:06 PM »

Some more good press. This time from Crain's....

Local car-sharing company keeps clients on the road
By TIM TIBBITTS
6:00 am, August 28, 2006

Michael Bennett walks to his job as a patient advocate with Recovery Resources in Ohio City. His bicycle and the bus get him almost everywhere else he needs to go in the city.

Yet, it took Mr. Bennett a long time to be willing to dump his own vehicle and go “car free.” Even for those who live and work near good public transit, the trip to stock up on household supplies or the occasional work or social function in the distant suburbs makes Cleveland a tough place to live without a car.

More at:
http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20060828/SUB/60825013

8ShadesofGray · « **Reply #33 on:** September 14, 2006, 06:43:51 AM »

Don't know if this is bad news for the project's business to date (at least on the Near East side), but they have removed the dedicated CityWheels parking sign from the back of Tower Press (21st between Superior and Payne), and there's been no sign of the Scion for at least a week.

3231 · « **Reply #34 on:** September 14, 2006, 06:55:54 AM »

Maybe it was moved to University Circle? I wouldn't think that there would be enough of a market near the Tower Press building to support a CityWheels car.

News:

Author Topic: Car-sharing services in Greater Cleveland (Read 10849 times)