PhillyCarShare Expands Service to Wilmington, Delaware

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--PhillyCarShare has announced the launch of a new program for municipal staff in the City of Wilmington, Delaware. “PhillyCarShare- Delaware”, will park hybrid vehicles on downtown French Street in the Government Center district. A select group of Wilmington employees will turn in their city vehicles and have access to car sharing for all city business. Later this summer, the cars will also be available to corporations, residents and students who join PhillyCarShare.

“…We are once again bringing an exciting, behavior-changing concept to Delaware.”

Car sharing offers members the freedom of driving while eliminating the costs and hassles of ownership; drivers only pay for the time and mileage they use. Fees cover gas, insurance, maintenance and parking.

“We’re happy to partner with the City of Wilmington on this innovative, precedent-setting program,” said PhillyCarShare Executive Director, Tanya Seaman. “We applaud everyone involved and thank them for being proactive, creative, and environmentally friendly in their urban transportation choices.”

“We fully expect the car share program to provide some benefits,” said City of Wilmington Mayor James M. Baker. “…We are once again bringing an exciting, behavior-changing concept to Delaware.”

PhillyCarShare’s goal, and now PhillyCarShare- Delaware’s mission is to reduce automobile dependence in Wilmington by providing the city an affordable and convenient alternative to car ownership. Reducing the number of cars in an urban area can improve the livability of a city, increase transit ridership, as well as promote walking and biking. Fewer cars in the city fleet can potentially improve air quality, ease demand on parking and remove the burdens of auto ownership for Wilmington.

PhillyCarShare is experienced with municipal programs. The City of Philadelphia joined in 2004, becoming the first government worldwide to share cars with local residents in a major fleet reduction effort. The pioneering project has helped replace 330 municipal vehicles, saving taxpayers $6 million so far. As the largest corporate member, the city joined many other organizations in the region that benefit financially from using PhillyCarShare. The Wilmington program is expected to benefit the city, as well as grow to meet and an anticipated increase in car sharing demand.

“While we have focused our initial efforts on transportation for city employees,” added Seaman, “we also offer memberships in our program to corporations, residents and students, and thus plan on expanding our presence and fleet.”

Celebrating five years as the Delaware Valley’s premier car sharing service, PhillyCarShare is also consistently recognized for its “green” approach. A recent winner of a Philadelphia Sustainability Award, the majority of its fleet is hybrid vehicles.

PhillyCarShare, launched in 2002, is a non-profit organization that operates a rapidly growing fleet of “cars by the hour” from 100+ neighborhood locations (pods) in Philadelphia. Each member receives a personal key and 24-hour access. Then driving is easy: reserve online, unlock, and go! Members report selling or avoiding the purchase of 7,000 cars; walk, bike, and take transit more; and save an average of $4,000 annually versus owning cars. PhillyCarShare pioneered free memberships, service to drivers aged 18 to 20, pods every block, debit billing (enabling people of all incomes to join), and child seats. For more information, visit www.phillycarshare.org.

Editors’ Note: Interviews/Photos Available