City CarShare Saves 1,000,000 Gallons of SF Gasoline

City CarShare Saves 1,000,000 Gallons of Gasoline

San Francisco (October 11, 2005) City CarShare, 
the Bay Area's leading car-sharing service, 
announced that as of today, its members have 
saved over 1,000,000 gallons of gasoline -- and 
20,000,000 pounds of CO2 -- since the 
organization was founded in 2001 as a community-based nonprofit.

A 2003 UC Berkeley showed that each City CarShare 
member saves gallon of gas each day after joining 
the service. Using that figure, City CarShare 
calculates that its members collectively save 
over 1000 gallons of gas each day, for a total of 
1,008,732 gallons since the organization was founded.

By participating in the Bay Areas largest 
car-sharing organization, over 4,300 City 
CarShare members are helping to conserve gasoline 
and reduce oil-dependence. According to a City 
CarShare member survey conducted last month, over 
74% of the respondents cited being 
environmentally responsible as an important 
factor in deciding to join the organization.

While motorists join City CarShare for many 
reasons, including convenience and wanting to 
choose a more environmentally friendly way to 
drive, members are increasingly citing gas prices 
as a reason for using City CarShare. For example, 
San Francisco realtor Karen Watkins sold her car 
and switched to using City CarShare vehicles 
full-time in April due to rising gas prices and 
other costs of owning a car. At first, I didn't 
want to use my old beat up car for business so I 
signed up to get access to shiny, clean cars, 
said Watkins.  Then the price of gas went up and 
my car broke down. I realized how much money I 
was sinking into cars and decided to go carless, except for City CarShare.

The City CarShare member survey also indicated 
that the number of members citing the rising cost 
of gas as an important factor in joining is up 
52% during the last three months. The same survey 
indicated that 40% of respondents estimate their 
household saves $20 or more per month on gas each 
month, because of City CarShares low-cost access to cars.

Since May 2005, more than 1,150 motorists have 
applied for City CarShare, and membership 
continues to surge. What began as a good price 
deal for City CarShare members is becoming an 
even better deal as the price of gas has 
continued to rise. This is especially true as 
City CarShare's prices include gas, insurance, 
parking, cleaning and maintenance. As gas prices 
keep going up, City CarShare prices have remained 
at the same affordable rate of $4/hour and 44cents/mile.

A September 25, 2005 article in the New York 
Times reported that traffic on the Bay Area Rapid 
Transit system was up almost four percent during 
the first two weeks of September, compared with a 
year ago. These numbers are likely to increase in 
2006 as Caltrans continues its work to 
seismically retrofit the San Francisco-Oakland 
Bay. City CarShares locations at many Berkeley 
and Oakland BART stations supply additional 
commuting options for Bay Area residents and 
workers who need to travel back and forth between 
San Francisco and the East Bay, without driving on the bridge.

City CarShare today has over 50 Bay Area 
locations. New cars and locations are being added 
monthly as part of City CarShares ongoing program 
of providing Bay Area residents with convenient 
neighborhood locations where they can choose from 
different vehicle types, including hybrids, 
trucks and wagons. City CarShare has more than 
4,300 Bay Area residents who rely on their low-cost access to cars.

Last-minute or advance reservations can be made 
online or by phone for any length of time from 
half-an-hour to half-a-day or more. Members can 
immediately access their vehicle at their 
neighborhood location without further paperwork or delay.

About City CarShare
Launched for the San Francisco Bay Area in 2001, 
City CarShare is the largest non-profit 
car-sharing organization in the U.S., serving 
over 4,300 active members in San Francisco, 
Berkeley and Oakland with over 100 vehicles in 
50+ locations throughout the Bay Area for $4/hour 
and 44¢/mile. Prices include gas, insurance, 
parking, cleaning and maintenance. A smarter, 
cheaper, greener way to drive, City CarShare 
offers a choice of compacts, pickup trucks, 
wagons, and hybrids to its individual and 
business members. For more information or to 
become a member visit 
www.citycarshare.org or call (415) 995-8588.