More than 90% of residents within a 5 minute walk of a vehicle location.
The City of Hoboken, New Jersey and Connect by Hertz kicked off "Corner Cars" -- the country's first true city-wide car-sharing program on June 16th. With the roll-out of this program, more than 90 percent of Hoboken residents will live within a 5 minute walk of a car-sharing vehicle location.
“We’re proud to partner with Hertz to offer our residents the first true city-wide car-sharing program in the country,” said Mayor Dawn Zimmer. “This creative program will save residents thousands of dollars compared to owning a car and eliminate the stress and hassle of looking for parking in our city.”Based on statistics from existing car-sharing service in Hoboken which shows that each car-sharing vehicle removes 17.6 other cars from the roads, the first phase of this program is anticipated to remove more than 750 vehicles from Hoboken's crowded streets.
"Instead of taking on millions of dollars in taxpayer debt for structured parking, residents who switch to car-sharing will save thousands of dollars,” said Transportation and Parking Director Ian Sacs. “It’s the 21st Century solution to contemporary urban parking woes.”
Residents may visit http://hobokennj.org/cornercars for information on the program and instructions for signing up.
“Hoboken’s Corner Cars program should serve as a nationwide model for urban transportation planning – giving 90% of residents access to a shared car helps the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and the economy by reducing congestion and the need for parking,” said Zoe Baldwin of the Tri-State Transportation Campaign.
The Corner Cars program operated by Connect by Hertz allows residents to rent a vehicle by the hour, day or week. Rates start at $5 per hour and include gas, roadside assistance, navigation system, and insurance. Connect has agreed to waive the annual membership fee for Hoboken residents for two years. Residents who sign up and use the keyword “Hoboken” will receive a $75 credit on their account (a one-time $25 application fee applies). Residents who surrender a parking permit at the Hoboken Parking Utility will receive a special code to use during registration that will allow them to receive a $100 credit instead.
“The Corner Cars project brings to Hoboken the very first imaginative attempt to get the city away from building and trying to maintain expensive multi-story garages to a program that will be accessible to almost everyone both physically and financially,” said Helen Manogue, Coordinator of the Hoboken Quality of Life Coalition and its Committee for a Green Hoboken. “The Quality of Life Coalition is an enthusiastic supporter of this program. We urge Hoboken residents to consider not only using the program, but also thinking seriously about giving up a car that sits in a garage all week or that has to be moved at least once weekly. This is a new beginning in transportation.”
Steve Fahmie, a Hoboken resident and founding member of the bike and pedestrian advocacy group Hoboken Sweet Streets, sold his car in 2008 and switched to car-sharing ever since.
“I’m no longer bothered with car maintenance, insurance payments, or registration renewals,” said Fahmie. “Most pleasing of all: no more fruitless searches for a Tuesday spot when moving my car for Wednesday street cleaning.”
A community forum to discuss transportation issues with residents originally scheduled for Thursday, June 17th will instead be held on Wednesday, June 23th from 7 to 9 pm at the Jubilee Center, 601 Jackson Street. Mayor Zimmer and Director Sacs will be in attendance to discuss transportation issues and concerns with residents.
Car-sharing locations were selected through public input and by City Council members representing individual wards.
Residents with questions about the Corner Cars program can visit http://hobokennj.org/cornercars, email cornercars@hobokennj.org or call the Department of Transportation and Parking at 201-653-1919.
Car-sharing Benefits Summary
Many Hoboken residents own a car but commute daily by transit, bus, bike or walking. They move their car for street cleaning or pay high rates to park in a garage. They use their car for groceries, to visit family, or to go to the beach. Other than that, their car sits around for days or weeks costing money, getting old, and losing value. "Corner Cars" is the alternative that makes a car available to residents whenever they need it -- whether it's for an hour or a week -- and only costs for the time it's used -- as little as $5 per hour. With Corner Cars, residents could save thousands of dollars per year, never have to worry about finding parking again, and have the convenience of a car always parked nearby in a reserved space.
For car-sharing members
Members will enjoy the convenience of never having to worry about finding a parking spot ever again and having a reserved parking space a short walk from home. Those who switch from car ownership can save thousands of dollars per year.
For low-income residents
Some residents may need the mobility of a personal vehicle but lack the ability to own one. Car-sharing is an affordable alternative with rates as low as $5 per hour -- gas, roadside assistance, navigation system, and insurance included.
For other residents
Everyone benefits from car-sharing. Fewer cars on the streets means parking is easier for everyone. Less traffic means safer streets for children, less noise, less pollution, and less wear and tear on roads. Even those who own a car can benefit from using car-sharing vehicles for emergencies or when a car is being repaired.
For new/prospective residents
Car-sharing will add to the variety of multi-modal transportation options that make Hoboken an attractive place to live. With all the transportation options available -- commuter rail, light rail, bus, ferries, our expanded Hop shuttle, new bike lanes and additional bike racks parking, and now our new city-wide car-sharing program, we hope new residents that move to Hoboken will reconsider whether they need to bring a car here at all.
For property owners
Real estate listings often highlight their proximity to public transit options. Now, those without private parking can similarly point to nearby car-sharing spaces as a convenient alternative and make their home more marketable.
For taxpayers
Instead of spending millions of dollars building structured parking, the first phase of the car-sharing program is expected to remove 750 cars from our streets, having the same effect on Hoboken's parking situation, but at no cost to taxpayers. Fewer cars on the streets means less wear and tear on roads, and that means fewer potholes to fix and less frequent repaving needed. ◦
