Annie Bourdon of CarShare VT presents at GrowSmart Maine's Forum: 21st Century Transportation: Shared Vehicles, E-Bikes and their Implications for a Smart Growth Economy in Maine
2. What is CarShare Vermont?
CarShare Vermont is a nonprofit
organization on a mission to provide a
convenient, affordable, and reliable
alternative to car ownership that enhances
the environmental, social, and economic
wellbeing of our community and region. In
short, we want to help more people get
around with fewer cars.
3. A bit of history
• Founded in 2008, we were the first (and only) nonprofit car-
sharing organization in New England
• Remain one of the smallest operators in the U.S.
• Operate as a 501(c)3 nonprofit to prioritize our social and
environmental mission.
• Key partners: transportation providers, sister organizations,
local colleges, government agencies, and developers
• Launched with 8 vehicles in Burlington
• Currently serving 1,050 members with 18 vehicles
• Expanded to Winooski in 2013, Montpelier in 2015
• Deliver programs that support sustainable transportation
4. How does it work?
The basics:
• Vehicles available to a group of members
• Vehicles are decentralized and neighborhood based—near
where our members live and work
• Members can reserve by the hour or day, 24/7
• Vehicles are self-accessible with key-less technology (most
members walk to pick-up vehicles)
• Range of vehicles to meet different needs (e.g. truck,
minivan)
• Rates include gas, insurance, everything
• All trips are roundtrip
5. Who are our members?
55%32%
13%
Residents
Campus
Business
• 1,050 members
• 87% belong to zero or 1-car households
• 50% under 35
6. Our impacts
Since joining CarShare Vermont, our members report:
• More than 65% sold or opted not to buy/replace a car
• Each car we put on the road replaces 15
• 50% are more active
• 57% combine trips
• 66% feel less stress
about transportation
7. Results translated
• 2.1 million pounds of CO2 saved =
• 2.5 million fewer miles driven =
• 74,286 fewer hours behind the wheel =
9. Our programs: The Park It! Pledge
• Knocked on 10,000 doors
• Recruited nearly 100 households to park a car
for six months(!)
• 11 cars sold
• 50%+ member retention
• All participants reported driving less, walking
and biking more
• Increased community awareness of CSVT
10. Our programs: Let’s Share
• Social media campaign targeting under-35
year-olds
• 15 participants went on 4 adventures each and
shared their stories
• 300 photos captured
• Expanded CSVT’s reach to more than 25K
followers and friends on social media
• Increased membership among age group by
27%
11. Our programs: Be Car Conscious
• Fun outreach campaign to get Vermonters
thinking about how much they really spend
to own and drive their cars
• Developed online tool to calculate accurate
costs
• Over 400 people (and counting) used
calculator
• The results are compelling—people who
drive less than 10,000 miles per year
would spend half as much sharing