TITLE
Recommendation to request report from City Manager on
(1) car-sharing programs in cities around the nation and (2) the attainability of establishing a car-sharing program in Long Beach.
DISCUSSION
The City of Long Beach is an outstanding leader in alternative modes of transportation, with convenient access to bus and rail, and miles of bicycle lanes.
A growing alternative transportation program in other cities is car-sharing. Carsharing organizations, such as Flexcar and City CarS hare, allow people to share access to hundreds of vehicles, often within a close distance to home or work, for an hourly rate that covers gas and insurance. These time-share automobiles allow organization members to have occasional access to a car without the costs or hassles of ownership.
Car-sharing programs are a convenient, affordable, reliable, and environmentally beneficial alternative in personal transportation. Such programs are especially valuable in parking-impacted communities and low-income communities.
A few years ago, Long Beach residents enjoyed the pilot car-sharing program run by the nonprofit Bikestation Coalition in partnership with Flexcar. Currently, carsharing organizations operate in the cities of Los Angeles, Seattle, San Diego, San Francisco, Chicago, Washington DC, and Portland, among others.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
[Timing Considerations]
FISCAL IMPACT
[Fiscal Impact]
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
BODY
[Enter Body Here]
Respectfully Submitted,
Bonnie Lowenthal, Vice Mayor and Councilmem First District
Suja Lowenthal, Councilmember, Second District
Patrick O'Donnell, Councilmember, Fourth District
NAME |
APPROVED: |
TITLE |
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GERALD R. MILLER |
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CITY MANAGER |