Drivers wanted Drivers wanted (March 12, 2004)

Car sharing program is still in the red

By Grace Rauh

It's shiny, green and about to celebrate its one-year anniversary with Mountain View.

But this romance may not be built to last.

City Carshare, the San Francisco-based nonprofit that operates a fleet of lime green Volkswagon Beetles and other cars throughout the Bay Area, may be pulling the plug on its Mountain View car at the end of March.

Only one year ago, then-Mayor Mike Kasperzak cut the ribbon at City Carshare's opening party and ushered in what appeared to be another example of the city's efforts to welcome and encourage alternative transportation modes. But now, the innovative program which started in San Francisco appears on the verge of extinction in downtown Mountain View. And if City Carshare goes, so does one more transit option for local residents.

"When I had a car, even though I think of myself as an environmentally conscious person, I tended to use it," said Julie Sweetland, a graduate student at Stanford University who drove the Beetle when she lived near Castro Street. City Carshare "kind of makes you think before you decide to use a car and just kind of weigh the different options -- the pros and cons."

The group has struggled to sign up enough people in Mountain View and if there is not a spike in membership and car use by the end of March, the Beetle is slated to leave downtown for good.

"We need to get either some businesses to join or some city employees to join," said Jon Wiener, City Carshare's Peninsula Coordinator (and a Voice contributor). "Otherwise, I don't think it is going to survive."

The shared car sits in a parking lot near Castro Street and the downtown train station, and has been losing money since day one.

"It's unfortunate," said City Council member Matt Neely of the potential closure in Mountain View. "They have a long row to hoe to make people less dependent on the ease and flexibility of having a car."

Carshare officials are now making a final push to save the Mountain View Beetle. They are talking up the program amid produce vendors at the Farmers' Market on Sundays, networking through the Chamber of Commerce and have contacted local officials to get the word out about their predicament. And Wiener plans to head to the Caltrain station to catch commuters on their way to work, he said.

A birthday party to honor Carshare members and sign-up newcomers is in the works as well. Wiener will serve birthday cake and coffee from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. at Dana Street Roasting Company, but it is unclear whether the event will have to double as a goodbye party.

"This is probably going to be one of the last things in Mountain View before we make our final decision about what we're going to do," Wiener said.

The Beetle must generate $1,000 each month from Mountain View clients to break even, but the car brings in $550 each month on average and January was particularly slow with only $250 in revenues, Wiener said.

The car is available to members who pay a flat fee for each month they use the vehicle. The bill increases depending on the number of hours the car is used and the mileage. City Carshare has 20 members who live in Mountain View and drive the downtown car.

It is unclear why City Carshare, which has been successful in San Francisco and East Bay cities, has struggled to survive on the Peninsula. City Carshare member Sweetland said she drove for longer distances on the Peninsula compared to when she lived in Oakland -- which means a higher monthly bill.

"If people are going somewhere, they're usually going somewhere far," Sweetland said.

But Wiener contends that the program has been successful in suburban areas in the Northwest and says that the real problem is that there are not enough Mountain View businesses using the car during the day.

He also hopes to convince the city of Mountain View to follow Palo Alto's lead and join City Carshare. It may be a tough sell since Mountain View already has several cars available for employees, Neely said.

It seems unlikely that the city would jump on board with City Carshare, but Neely hasn't given up on the program altogether. He expects rising gas prices will force people out of their cars.

Despite the uncertain fate of the Beetle, Mountain View's relationship with City Carshare won't be completely severed if the downtown car disappears. A new car is slated to move into the Crossings -- a transit-oriented housing development adjacent to Caltrain's San Antonio station -- by early April. The Packard Foundation, located in downtown Los Altos, has signed up to pay approximately $800 each month to reserve the car for their employees during business hours.

E-mail Grace Rauh at grauh@mv-voice.com

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