City CarShare in San Francisco, California: Second-Year Travel Demand and Car Ownership Impacts

Abstract

Two years into the introduction of City CarShare in San Francisco, California, nearly 30% of members have gotten rid of one or more cars, and two-thirds stated that they opted not to purchase another car. By City CarShare's second anniversary, 6.5% of members' trips and 10% of their vehicle miles traveled were in carshare vehicles. Matched-pair comparisons with a statistical control group suggest that, over time, members have reduced their total vehicular travel. Because carshare vehicles tended to be small and fuel-efficient, per capita gasoline consumption and greenhouse gas emissions among members also appeared to go down. Suppressed travel likely reflected a combination of influences: reduced car ownership, more judicious and selective use of cars for particular trip purposes, and multiple-occupant carshare trips. Carsharing, however, has also enhanced mobility and allowed members to reach more destinations in and around San Francisco conveniently and to do so more quickly. Because it widens mobility choices and offers a resourceful form of automobility, carsharing is a welcome addition to the urban transportation sector in cities such as San Francisco.