by KYW's Hadas Kuznits
When it comes to car usage in the city, Philadelphia is becoming a leader in reducing emissions thanks to a nonprofit car rental agency called Philly Car Share.
The idea to share vehicles was imported to Philadelphia from Europe. Clayton Lane is the deputy executive director of Philly Car Share, and one of the original founders of the program:
"Our mission is to get cars off the roads, to reduce automobile dependence in the Philadelphia region. So we're hoping that when people join our service, they will save a lot of money and get lots of convenience while helping the planet."
Lane says members can either join for free and pay hourly for cars, or pay a $15 monthly fee and pay a reduced hourly rate.
He says the program has gained popularity and made the city cleaner:
"We were founded in 2002 by five local Philadelphians. We've grown to 33,000 members sharing over 400 cars -- and those members have gotten rid of over 12,000 personal vehicles. They're driving about 42 percent less, and they're saving about $90 million a year."
He says Philly Car Share enourages members to conserve resources:
"It becomes very rational once a car is owned to drive it. Because on the margin, you're just paying for gas. Philly Car Share tries to unbundle those costs, so that you're paying by the hour for your insurance, for depreciation, for gas and so on -- and it gives you an economic reward for driving less. So as a result, you make more judicious choices about how to get around."
For more information, go to phillycarshare.org.
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