Launch event for Car2Go on Michigan Avenue
On Wednesday, Alderman Brian Hopkins was joined by Secretary of State Jesse White and 27th Ward Alderman Walter Burnett in welcoming Car2Go to Chicago, as this new free-float carshare program will bring numerous economic and quality of life benefits to the city.
In 2016, the University of California Berkeley released a study proving that Car2Go’s model cuts traffic congestion, reduces air pollution and integrates with other transit and transportation options, thereby helping to move more people, more efficiently while reducing air pollution and overall vehicle miles traveled (VMT).
Specifically, the study showed that each Car2Go vehicle removed as many as 11 personal cars from the road, which otherwise sit unused 95 percent of the time, and each Car2Go vehicle prevented up to 14 metric tons of greenhouse gas from polluting city air.
This program will complement existing public transportation by bridging the gaps between the “first and last mile” of a member’s commute. Early testing has shown that members walk, bike or ride public transit even more so in conjunction with access to free-floating carshare.
Their service has proven to be a tremendous success in major cities all over North America – such as New York, Montreal, D.C., Denver, and Vancouver – in improving mobility, air quality, and alleviating road congestion.
Source: Alderman Brian Hopkin’s 2nd Ward Newsletter 7/27/18
