Flexcar Challenge Pits 12 Washingtonians Against Their Cars by Going Without for 30 Days; Environment, Traffic, Foreign Oil Dependence All Impacted by Car-Sharing

    WASHINGTON--Sept. 6, 2002--Flexcar, the nation's oldest and largest car-sharing company, today kicked-off the Flexcar Challenge, a month-long event that pits 12 Washington, D.C.-area residents against the notion that owning a car is a necessity.
    Participants today handed over their car keys and parking passes and pledged to travel for 30 days -- to work, the gym, the grocery store... everywhere -- only by means of alternative transportation such as bus, train, bicycle, carpool and Flexcar.
    Flexcar's innovative program provides members with on-demand access to a fleet of 32 environmentally friendly vehicles, including gas-electric hybrids, located at or near 20 Metro stations in the DC Metro area. Members reserve the vehicles for hourly use with Flexcar covering the cost of the car, gas, parking, insurance, and maintenance. Members can pay an hourly or monthly rate for use of the vehicles.
    Between September 6 and October 6, the Flexcar Challenge participants will keep diaries of their experiences, which will be shared with the public. Each participant will have free limited access to Flexcar vehicles during the promotion. Those who successfully complete the entire month without using their own cars will win a free year's use of the car-sharing service.
    "Many people can access their main needs by walking, biking or Metro, but the reality is that sometimes you just need a car," said Neil Peterson, president and CEO of Flexcar. "So people end up buying a car even though they use it, on average, less than 2 hours a day. We created this event to show people that it's possible to get around town without actually owning a car, by combining Flexcar use with existing modes of transportation, such as Metro, walking and biking."
    Through the Flexcar Challenge, the company hopes to draw attention to the importance of trip planning (running multiple errands at once instead of singly) and how car-sharing helps reduce pollution, decrease dependence on foreign oil and provide traffic congestion relief.
    In a statement, the Sierra Club has said that "car-sharing is a smart way of increasing mobility, fighting smog, and decreasing the number of vehicles on the road. In a metropolitan region overwhelmed with Code Red, Orange and Purple days, this is a simple solution with valuable results."
    "Now, people who are looking for ways to escape the grind of traffic and congestion, reduce pollution and eliminate the cost of owning, maintaining and parking a personal vehicle have a choice," added Peterson. "Our Challenge participants will find out that it's easy to be a part of the solution -- that they don't have to sacrifice their mobility."

    The participants come from the greater DC Metro area:

    Washington, D.C.

    Martin Alaniz, Alexandra MacKie, John Mimikakis, Christina Mitchell, Karin Sypura and Daniel Williams, Christopher Goodwin

    Bethesda, Md.

    Thea Joselow

    Arlington, Va.

    Jennie Drimmer, Theo Mantzanas and Kalimar Maia

    Fredericksburg, Va.

    Robert Mariner

    Throughout the month, Flexcar will issue updates on the progress of the participants as well as excerpts from their diaries via news releases and on the Flexcar Website.
    Following a successful European model, Flexcar launched its Seattle operations in 2000, and has since won numerous awards and commendations for its program that reduces congestion, air pollution and energy use, while increasing use of public transportation and contributing to sustainable communities. Used in conjunction with public transit, car/vanpools and walking/biking, car-sharing helps individuals meet their transportation needs in an economic and environmentally responsible manner, giving them the freedom of car ownership without the cost and hassles.

    Flexcar

    Headquartered in Seattle, Flexcar now operates car-sharing programs for more than 6,000 members in more than a dozen cities and counties in 5 states and the District of Columbia. With flexible pricing plans, members can reserve and drive any of these cars whenever and wherever they need to, without filling out complicated paperwork, paying for insurance, gas or repairs. Flexcar Business Memberships enable companies to augment or replace their fleet with Flexcar vehicles. Flexcar's modern fleet includes sedans, gas-electric hybrids, electric cars and specialty vehicles including pickups and convertibles. Flexcar has established strategic partnerships with King County (Wash.) Metro, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), Parsons Transportation Group and American Honda Motor Company, Inc.

    Editor's Note: Correct spelling and punctuation is "Flexcar"; not FlexCar, Flex Car or Flexicar.