[Northern Light]

Car2GO, Daimler's version of carsharing is set to launch in Calgary this year, along with Miami and Toronto ( report from The Star is linked below).

Similar to other car-sharing services but with a few key differences.

Rent by the Minute
Pick-up/Drop-off at any designated space/lot (allows 1-way trips)
Uses only 1 vehicle in fleet type (Daimler product)

Article is here.

http://www.thestar.com/business/article/1210995--car2go-launches-short-term-car-rentals-in-toronto-joining-zipcar-autoshare-even-taxis-in-moving-market?bn=1

[DizzyEdge]

I notice they list that they'll have cars at 200 lots in Toronto, curious how many will be in Calgary.

[DizzyEdge]

Here is the "home area", which I'm guessing is the area where you could expect to find pick up and drop off points

http://www.car2go.com/calgary/en/files/car2go_calgary_home_area.pdf

I'm surprised it extends so far south and west.

[hulkrogan]

Here is the "home area", which I'm guessing is the area where you could expect to find pick up and drop off points

http://www.car2go.com/calgary/en/files/car2go_calgary_home_area.pdf

I'm surprised it extends so far south and west.

There is actually no pick up and drop off points. You park it wherever you want. When you want one, you use the app or website to find the closest one sitting around and grab it.

[mersar]

There is actually no pick up and drop off points. You park it wherever you want. When you want one, you use the app or website to find the closest one sitting around and grab it.

Sounds pretty cool. They've partnered with the city so you can leave it in any legal spot, including ParkPlus zones (for free) that are non restricted and even non-time-limited residential permit zones.

[DizzyEdge]

I wonder how long until a team of 20 people all grab those cars and drop them off at the furthest street on the map.

[DizzyEdge]

Already making waves

Competition heats up between smart car sharing services vying for Calgary market

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/calgary/Competition+heats+between+smart+sharing+services+vying+Calgary+market/6786135/story.html

[Innersoul1]

picked up my Car2Go today, rocked some simple mods and came out with this!

lol

sLtMh20qIp8

[AB Born]

Now everytime I see a Car2Go I'm going to think of this video and laugh my ass off.

[MichaelS]

I want one, so badly!

[Calgarian]

I want to see someone do an endo in a smart car now lol

[gmc72]

I saw a couiple of these being towed away yesterday and it got me to thinking. Who pays for the impound/towing charges if they are left in a tow away area before the towing ban is in effect? These cars (I'm assuming) were left there when legal to park, but then were still there when the parking ban started. Who pays? The last person to park it? The company?

[hulkrogan]

I saw a couiple of these being towed away yesterday and it got me to thinking. Who pays for the impound/towing charges if they are left in a tow away area before the towing ban is in effect? These cars (I'm assuming) were left there when legal to park, but then were still there when the parking ban started. Who pays? The last person to park it? The company?

The last person to park it. You aren't allowed to park in time restricted spots.

[monocle]

The last person to park it. You aren't allowed to park in time restricted spots.

Can't park in a 2 hour zone AT ALL, or can't leave it in a 2 hour zone longer than 2 hours?

[Yahoo]

I sure see a lot of the cars around Livingston place in the morning. I was wondering who paid for the parking since it's a fortune in that area. I'm not sure about street parking, but Jaimeson place is $32.50 for early bird parkers. (Obviously parking in Calgary is becoming something only for the elite).

[mersar]

Can't park in a 2 hour zone AT ALL, or can't leave it in a 2 hour zone longer than 2 hours?

Not supposed to park in a stall that has any time limit at any point.

[93JC]

On the contrary, you can end a Car2Go rental in a ParkPlus zone with time restrictions, e.g. "Max. 2 hrs". What you CAN'T do is end it in a zone that has no stopping or no parking restrictions at some point, e.g. in a spot along 6 Ave that has "no stopping" in effect from 3:30 to 6:00 pm. Or one of those spots that has wacky parking bans between 1:00 and 7:00 am.

[ByeByeBaby]

I saw a couiple of these being towed away yesterday and it got me to thinking. Who pays for the impound/towing charges if they are left in a tow away area before the towing ban is in effect? These cars (I'm assuming) were left there when legal to park, but then were still there when the parking ban started. Who pays? The last person to park it? The company?

In principle, it's the person who parked the car. I know that the FAQs or manual or somewhere explicitly mentions snow routes -- if you park on one, and it snows, and they tow the car, it's your problem. Whether car2go passes the fees on, I don't know.

My sources ;) tell me that car2go has been a phenomenal success in Calgary. We started at the same time as Miami and Toronto, but we have way more use than those cities (even though they have larger fleets). We're doing as well as (on a per-car basis) their established US cities, like Portland, Austin and DC, and we may even be catching up to Vancouver, the champion in terms of trips-per-car. In fact, they haven't said anything, but they've recently rolled out a few more cars here (at least 10, a week or two ago).

I wouldn't be surprised to see more cars here, possibly an expansion of the home area. I also wouldn't be surprised if cities like Edmonton and Ottawa that are similar in size and makeup are getting moved up the internal car2go list.

[kw5150]

On the contrary, you can end a Car2Go rental in a ParkPlus zone with time restrictions, e.g. "Max. 2 hrs". What you CAN'T do is end it in a zone that has no stopping or no parking restrictions at some point, e.g. in a spot along 6 Ave that has "no stopping" in effect from 3:30 to 6:00 pm. Or one of those spots that has wacky parking bans between 1:00 and 7:00 am.

CORRECT. GOLD STAR! Just no parking if the area becomes a free flow lane at some point. You can part it there up until the restricted time. If you dont move it in time........well that is another story. Towing charges + 50.00 fine.

[DizzyEdge]

I'm actually confused about spots where you could get ticketed vs towed.
I know snow routes, no stopping/parking during rush hour is a no no, but not sure about zones which are just 2 hrs 8am-6pm.

[kw5150]

I'm actually confused about spots where you could get ticketed vs towed.
I know snow routes, no stopping/parking during rush hour is a no no, but not sure about zones which are just 2 hrs 8am-6pm.

2 hr zones are fine. so are permit only zones. It is all outlined on the website.......

[monocle]

Can I park in a residential permit zone? You know, the ones with the jj (or whatevs) in the coloured triangles?

[davee930]

Can I park in a residential permit zone? You know, the ones with the jj (or whatevs) in the coloured triangles?

Yes you can.

There are at least 50 car2gos parked in an empty lot beside guenthers and mercedes. Maybe these are all new??

[DizzyEdge]

Alright, here's the final word:

WHERE CAN I PARK MY CAR2GO?

In Calgary, you may end your rental in any of the following locations:

• Any legal on-street parking space within the Home Area, as long as there are no stopping or parking restrictions at any time.

• Designated parking locations within the Home Area (authorized Calgary Parking Authority parkades and surface lots only). See the in-car GPS for locations and parking instructions.

WHAT IS “LEGAL ON-STREET” PARKING?

Parking legally on-street means using public roads that do not have additional signage prohibiting parking (ex: valet, commercial, loading, taxi, and handicapped zones).

WHICH ON-STREET PARKING SPACES CAN I USE?

• Any on-street ParkPlus parking space, as long as there are no stopping or parking restrictions at any time

• Residential permit-only street parking spaces

• Non-restricted residential street parking spaces (spaces with no signs)

• Residential street parking spaces with time limits, as long as there are no stopping or parking restrictions at any time

WHAT IS A STOPPING OR PARKING RESTRICTION?

Spaces with stopping or parking restrictions have signs that state “no parking” or “no stopping” between certain hours of the day (ex: Monday – Friday, 15:30 – 18:00 or Tuesday & Thursday, 1:30 – 7:00).

Many of these spaces are in commuter lanes, such as in the Downtown Core or in the Beltline areas.

Rentals may not be ended in these spaces at any time.

===================================================

I was confused because they sent out an email talking about where you can't park, and they showed a no stopping, a tow-away, and a 2 hr zone all on the same sign pole as an example of "where not to park".

[srperrycgy]

There are at least 50 car2gos parked in an empty lot beside guenthers and mercedes. Maybe these are all new??

They must be. I've noticed the number available increasing from about 110 to about 130. Still clustered downtown during the day though.

I'm really enjoying having increased mobility by using Car2Go. For the most part, a car is around when I've needed it. My home and my work are in the Home Area, so I've commuted a few times. Perfect strangers come up to me and ask about Car2Go. I hope this sticks around for a while. :cool:

[DizzyEdge]

After 2-3 minutes of idling and 2 mins of driving the mist on the windshield this morning was half removed by the defroster setting. Concerned how long it will take when it's much colder out.

[kw5150]

After 2-3 minutes of idling and 2 mins of driving the mist on the windshield this morning was half removed by the defroster setting. Concerned how long it will take when it's much colder out.

The mist is weird this time of year. It never seems to go away in the morning. You also cant tell if it is on the outside or inside of the windows sometimes....

[DizzyEdge]

The mist is weird this time of year. It never seems to go away in the morning. You also cant tell if it is on the outside or inside of the windows sometimes....

In my case it seemed to be 2/3s outside, 1/3 inside.

[Bigtime]

It's definitely a success here in Calgary, 150 more cars to be added and the home area will be expanded too:

http://metronews.ca/news/calgary/389299/calgary-becomes-fastest-growing-car2go-market-worldwide/

[DizzyEdge]

:banaride:

Man I hope the expanded 5 sq kms is north of 16th ave.

[Bokimon]

They need to have the car2go parking designated at the LRT park and rides or bus terminals and also at shopping centers. Otherwise this is still sweet and I am lovin it..

[monocle]

Will they ever expand the Home Area to the wrong side of the tracks (AKA Deerfoot)?

How does Calgary's Home Area compare to other markets?
\/"IT'S ON THE WEBSITE, SHEESH!!" Comments go here.\/

[hulkrogan]

:banaride:

Man I hope the expanded 5 sq kms is north of 16th ave.

From what I can gather, indeed, they are bumping it to 24th ave North.

[DizzyEdge]

I think Calgary is a perfect storm of:
- high parking rates in the innercity (free while using a car2go)
- taxi shortages at certain times
- much of the city being quite car-centric
- possibly lack of late night transit (other than LRT)

[DizzyEdge]

Will they ever expand the Home Area to the wrong side of the tracks (AKA Deerfoot)?

How does Calgary's Home Area compare to other markets?
\/"IT'S ON THE WEBSITE, SHEESH!!" Comments go here.\/

The main noticeable thing is for Vancouver and Toronto it covers most of the city (maybe 90% of Vancouver proper and 100% of "Old Toronto", ie not Scarborough or Etobicoke). Being that Calgary is a unicity they had to more arbitrarily pick the boundaries.Personally I think the area bounded by Sarcee, McKnight, Deerfoot and Glenmore aren't bad, with tweaking.

[Rusty van Reddick]

I think Calgary is a perfect storm of:
- high parking rates in the innercity (free while using a car2go)
- taxi shortages at certain times
- much of the city being quite car-centric
- possibly lack of late night transit (other than LRT)

Car share is a similarly huge success in cities that have none of these aspects. Car share is a good thing and I celebrate the success of Car2Go as part and parcel of our evolution as a modern, progressive city.

[srperrycgy]

I think the South/West/East boundaries are reasonable. Extending to 24th Ave N is probably a good thing. I had one of the new cars on Saturday and it wreaked of new car smell and had only 179km on it. I was floored to find out today that there are 15000 members in Calgary! Incredible. The idea of dedicated parking stalls are LRT stations is good, but there are only two that are in the Home Area and have the space in existing Park-n-Ride lots: Chinook and 39th Avenue. As for winter, I probably not using the service when the weather is bad.

[DizzyEdge]

I expect the north boundary is so short as there's really no destinations up there. South you have Chinook, West you have MRU, NW you have the U of C, North you just have Sait, and it's within the boundary. One might be able to argue for including 17th ave SE.

[DizzyEdge]

Car share is a similarly huge success in cities that have none of these aspects. Car share is a good thing and I celebrate the success of Car2Go as part and parcel of our evolution as a modern, progressive city.

Certainly, just looking for reasons why Calgary might be worldwide leader in Car2go growth. I actually forgot another reason why Calgary might be doing so well: No existing Zip car competition.

[Bigtime]

Based on the overwhelming success of Car2Go is it fair to assume we'll see Zip Car here soon (perhaps by next Spring)?

[mersar]

UofC has added some dedicated parking stalls on campus for car2go as of a few weeks ago, reportedly they will be adding more come spring including some at McMahon.

[ByeByeBaby]

Like I said, Calgary has been a raging success. Here's a very rough graph of the daily trips (averaged over a trailing week to avoid unevenness due to weekends) for the North American car2go cities. Calgary, Toronto and Miami all started around the same time; the other markets are well-established. Calgary is now the #2 market in North America, despite having only 150 cars versus 200-300 in the other markets.

http://i.imgur.com/2QaEU.png

[monocle]

Thanks for the graph. It's boggling to my brain that they have over 1% of the population of Calgary. More than 1 in 100 people are interested in car sharing in Calgary. Wow.

[Radley77]

Is it any suprise that Calgary has the second highest parking prices in North America, and also the second highest market for Car2Go (and car sharing)?

I believe that high parking prices has the potential to bring about similar growth rates in cycling as citizens seek out low cost parking options.

From the below article from Vancouver, "From 2008 to 2011, bicycle use increased 26 per cent, bus trips were up by 17 per cent and walking as a mode of transportation was up six per cent.

Car trips rose just four per cent, less than the region’s population increase of six per cent during the same period."

Bike rides, bus trips on the rise in Metro Vancouver
http://www.vancouversun.com/travel/Bike+rides+trips+rise+Metro+Vancouver/7289892/story.html

Calgary downtown parking rates highest in Canada, second in North America
http://www.calgaryherald.com/business/Calgary+downtown+parking+rates+highest+Canada+second+North/7330471/story.html

[Riise]

I think Calgary is a perfect storm of:
- high parking rates in the innercity (free while using a car2go)
- taxi shortages at certain times
- much of the city being quite car-centric
- possibly lack of late night transit (other than LRT)

In my opinion, the fact that most of the city was built for the car combined with Car2Go's super convenient form has helped make it as successful as it has become. I think there are a lot of people who would like to ditch their car, or leave it at home/work, and Car2Go is making that a real possibility for Calgarians.

[Innersoul1]

I was at Kal-Tire last night getting winter tires put on my SUV. I noticed a coupe of Car2Go Smart cars kicking around. Turns out that Kal Tire has the contract for putting winter tires on the vehicles. The sales guy was also mentioning that there should be another 150 Smarts on the way.

[DizzyEdge]

I noticed 6 Car2go's parked on centre street between 6th and 7th aves. They're everywhere. Also as of today I can apparently end my rental right in front of my house instead of 5 blocks away.. woot.

[Surrealplaces]

I noticed 6 Car2go's parked on centre street between 6th and 7th aves. They're everywhere. Also as of today I can apparently end my rental right in front of my house instead of 5 blocks away.. woot.

I see them all around now. On Tuesday I was downtown and saw no less than 6 just in the time I was down there.

[freeweed]

I regularly see blocks downtown where almost half the parked cars are the Car2GOs. Including one person who parked in an amusing fashion - backed up against the curb! Those cars are *almost* small enough to fit, but not quite.

There's definitely a huge number of commuters who are using these to avoid paying $36/day for parking.

[mersar]

Yep, I'm seeing them everywhere. Even a few times people down in Woodbine driving them despite being quite a ways outside the home area.

Noticed that UofC added a second stall over by Bio Science for them too this week, and both are full each morning and empty each evening when I've gone by.

[Calgarian]

Its awesome that these are so successful, can't wait till the competition moves in and we also get bike sharing. Calgary continues to surprise me...

[lubicon]

Still have yet to see any of these cars, but then again I just saw my first food trucks yesterday. :rolleyes:

[suburbia]

Car share is a similarly huge success in cities that have none of these aspects. Car share is a good thing and I celebrate the success of Car2Go as part and parcel of our evolution as a modern, progressive city.

Car share programs can be good for smallish groups of people who some how already know each other. Cars2Go can actually have an impact at a city level. I think the lawsuits are probably not as much an issue also.

[monocle]

I saw one today at the Forrest Lawn liquor store. Is there rules about where you can take them? IE could I drive to Wamback, Saskatchewan's Wambackfest? Can I take one skiing?

[DizzyEdge]

I saw one today at the Forrest Lawn liquor store. Is there rules about where you can take them? IE could I drive to Wamback, Saskatchewan's Wambackfest? Can I take one skiing?

If I recall after 200km you start getting charged 45 cents a km, so, don't go that far :) Personally I wish that was more like 300km though so you could go to Banff

[mersar]

If I recall after 200km you start getting charged 45 cents a km, so, don't go that far :) Personally I wish that was more like 300km though so you could go to Banff

Yep. The rules state the you can go upto 300km outside the home area, but if you go over 200km in distance travelled then its 45 cents a km.

[DizzyEdge]

The after work downtown doughnut hole

my pic
http://i.imgur.com/MxDI9.jpg

[93JC]

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?p=5774329#post5774329

The skeptic in me thinks this is mostly an elaborate Smart Fortwo marketing campaign.

What did I get in my e-mail a couple days ago? A survey from Car2Go asking about my car-buying intentions. Among the list of brands included in their survey was Smart, and I did not click it. The follow up question?

"In the last question you did not select Smart vehicles. Can you tell us why you don't intend to purchase a Smart?" LOL, the skeptic in me was at least partially correct. :D I got 15 free minutes out of it, for what it was worth.

Then again I let 41 free minutes expire, since I had no reason whatsoever to use them. I haven't used a Car2Go since August. I've made two trips in the entire time I've had the membership. I recall that when I signed up the membership would be automatically renewed after a year for $35; I think I'm going to have to call and cancel my membership when the time comes. If I drove downtown in the middle of the day more often it would make more sense but being that the only trips I make downtown are after 6 pm... meh.

[lineman]

Well, car2go is a subsidiary of Daimler.

[DizzyEdge]

I answered it honestly: I would consider a smart fourtwo as a 2nd car, but not as a primary as I wouldn't want to use one on the highway, or even deerfoot.

[artvandelay]

For those of you that have driven the Smart cars, how is the acceleration/power on them?

[kw5150]

I used car 2 go a couple times in the last week.

1. Took the train from the airport and planned to walk the 8 blocks to the condo; but, you guessed it! Car2go was sitting there. All of our luggage fit nicely into the back of the car. One large suitcase and two large carry-ons

Didnt drive today but wanted to run home for lunch and grab some things. Bingo: A couple cars were one block away.

The car was still waiting for me when I came outside.

So far I still am in disbelief that something this cool is in Calgary.

[lineman]

For those of you that have driven the Smart cars, how is the acceleration/power on them?

I've only driven it from home to the CBD or Beltline. It seems zippy enough for these areas, although it kinda suffers up Centre Street. I find it sufficient for 50kph zone driving.

The automated manual is real jerky and slow-shifting when left in full automatic. It performs better when you do the shifting yourself in the +/-gate. For car sharing purposes, I hope the next-gen gets a CVT.

Edit: Honestly, if I were looking for a small car, I'd look at the Toyota Yaris or Ford Fiesta. Much better value and similar fuel economy.

[Ramsayfarian]

For those of you that have driven the Smart cars, how is the acceleration/power on them?

They're pretty gutless. You can shift them into low, which gives you a bit more acceleration off the line, but not much.

[sidepockets]

I recall that when I signed up the membership would be automatically renewed after a year for $35; I think I'm going to have to call and cancel my membership when the time comes.

I believe that the $35 membership fee was only upon application for a new membership and not an annual cost (and most new members could find a code to have that fee waived).

[93JC]

I believe that the $35 membership fee was only upon application for a new membership and not an annual cost (and most new members could find a code to have that fee waived).

Here's where I read it:

https://www.car2go.com/calgary/en/files/car2go_calgary_rental_process.pdf

Section I, subsection E: "Membership is for one year and will be renewed automatically at the end of its term for another one-year period unless membership is terminated by car2go. At renewal, Members may be charged an annual registration fee, if any, in accordance with the then current fee schedule."

It appears that there is no annual membership fee in the schedule, so never mind then. :)

[93JC]

I've only driven it from home to the CBD or Beltline. It seems zippy enough for these areas, although it kinda suffers up Centre Street. I find it sufficient for 50kph zone driving.

The automated manual is real jerky and slow-shifting when left in full automatic. It performs better when you do the shifting yourself in the +/-gate. For car sharing purposes, I hope the next-gen gets a CVT.

Edit: Honestly, if I were looking for a small car, I'd look at the Toyota Yaris or Ford Fiesta. Much better value and similar fuel economy.

Absolutely. This echoes what I said in my response to Car2Go, particularly the transmission. The manual mode is better than automatic but it's still very slow and jerky.

That plus the generally mediocre build quality and the price were the reasons I told Car2Go I wouldn't buy one.

[hulkrogan]

You can shift them into low, which gives you a bit more acceleration off the line, but not much.

No it doesn't. Starting from a stop the transmission, in full auto mode, starts in first gear anyway. All low does is keep it from up-shifting all the way and is useful for extremely hilly terrain to keep the transmission from constant up/down shifting.

[tmjr]

Some complaints about Car2Go...

The Car2Go service has proven popular with many Calgarians but not everyone is jumping on board the transportation trend.

The City’s Roads Department handles residential areas and also has an agreement with the car service that allows members to park in permitted zones.

... says the smart cars typically fill up all the spots around her home and she is getting frustrated.

“I found that not only were there multiple vehicles taking up very limited parking space on this street but they also, contrary to what some people may believe, they stayed for hours,” said ....

From CTV Calgary News (http://calgary.ctvnews.ca/some-residents-want-car2go-gone-1.1021019#ixzz2B2Y3Pi7H)

[kw5150]

Who are the morons that are mass parking these things in front of people's homes? Talk about ruining it for the rest of us......also the other day, I saw a stupid woman pulling out of a parkade with a car2go.....People just abuse everything if you give them the chance.

On the other hand....these things can park in the smallest spaces....so why does the woman on the story even care? Better than a bunch of giant cars stealing the spots....

The other day I parked between two cars that no other car could fit into...ever.

[lineman]

Nothing is worse than reserving a car and it not being on the street. If a-holes are hiding car2gos in parkades or (even worse) their own garage, they should have their membership revoked.

It's appalling some people can't play nice in a car share program.

[kw5150]

I would love to see all of the things that have been left in car2go's to date. Would be funny, and some things not as funny. Does anyone know where they put these found items?

[mersar]

Well depending on what parkade it was then you may or may not have a right to be mad. There are numerous parkades who have signed on and designated stalls in them for car2go use. But if it was a private parkade for a condo or similar then that is a worth complaining about. We've been encouraging almost every project through BPG to talk to them about dedicating a stall or two for car2go in their public parking areas.

[Jimby]

http://eugenestickland.com/2012/11/03/a-year-with-no-car/

[Surrealplaces]

Calgary fastest growing car2go city worldwide

15,000 registered members in first 60 days

Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/Calgary+fastest+growing+car2go+city+worldwide/7325726/story.html#ixzz2BeYyt6nX

[Bigtime]

They have raised the rates and removed the ability to reserve a car farther out than the 15 minutes (effective November 12):

Minute: $0.35 -> $0.38
Hour: $12.99 -> $13.99
Day: $64.99 -> $72.99

[suburbia]

They have raised the rates and removed the ability to reserve a car farther out than the 15 minutes (effective November 12):

Minute: $0.35 -> $0.38
Hour: $12.99 -> $13.99
Day: $64.99 -> $72.99

They have a big advert in the current edition of the Gauntlet. Students can currently register for free and get 30 free minutes of usage on top of that.

[Deepstar]

They have raised the rates and removed the ability to reserve a car farther out than the 15 minutes (effective November 12):

Minute: $0.35 -> $0.38
Hour: $12.99 -> $13.99
Day: $64.99 -> $72.99

A little bit more money, but still more cost effective than taxi cabs in most cases.

[McMurph]

I love the concept and have used it a few times. My only concern is the fact that it seems that its being used primarily by downtown commuters. The evening and morning maps are ridiculous -- all the cars are out in the periphery each night (no doubt in front of the house of someone who is counting on it being there in the morning), then they all "disappear" into the core by 8AM. Instead of supplanting car ownership, like a true car-share ought to be doing, our program seems to be supplanting transit and saving car commuters a load of cash on parking. Not exactly in-line with our core transportation plans. I'm also fully expecting to hear about Car 2 Go rage as neighbours begin poaching the cars that commuters had expected to have each morning.

I hope the city and Car 2 Go figure out a solution soon. Living in the inner-ish city (Bankview in my case) and not being able to find a car between 7 AM and 5PM is a bit irritating. I've heard of folks who live downtown/beltline that are equally bothered by not being able to find a car in the evening.

[Deepstar]

A simple fix would be to have a surcharge on cars that stay outside of the core overnight.

I love the concept and have used it a few times. My only concern is the fact that it seems that its being used primarily by downtown commuters. The evening and morning maps are ridiculous -- all the cars are out in the periphery each night (no doubt in front of the house of someone who is counting on it being there in the morning), then they all "disappear" into the core by 8AM. Instead of supplanting car ownership, like a true car-share ought to be doing, our program seems to be supplanting transit and saving car commuters a load of cash on parking. Not exactly in-line with our core transportation plans. I'm also fully expecting to hear about Car 2 Go rage as neighbours begin poaching the cars that commuters had expected to have each morning.

I hope the city and Car 2 Go figure out a solution soon. Living in the inner-ish city (Bankview in my case) and not being able to find a car between 7 AM and 5PM is a bit irritating. I've heard of folks who live downtown/beltline that are equally bothered by not being able to find a car in the evening.

[ByeByeBaby]

A simple fix would be to have a surcharge on cars that stay outside of the core overnight.

That would be a next to impossible fix. Once you're done with your car, you have no control over whether someone else takes it or not. So I drive to Altadore at noon, and it just so happens that nobody else takes the car after 1 PM. It's not really my fault that nobody used the car in the next 12 hours, and it would be a nightmare to track to verify.

Also, Smart don't give a shit about people using them for commuting. They have massive use (read billing) for their fleet. Why would they stop people from using their vehicles and paying their cost?

[MichaelS]

A simple fix would be to have a surcharge on cars that stay outside of the core overnight.

Does it even need a fix? People are obeying all the rules. I have a feeling there wouldn't be much rage if they woke up and the car they were hoping to use was gone, as it just meant that someone else who is also obeying the rules used it.

[Aegis]

The complaints that I've heard about residents being angry that Car2Go vehicles are parked in their neighborhood are complete BS, in my opinion. Car2Go is providing a valuable service. The vehicles are not very big, so one can't really make the claim that they are taking up too much space. I think these are some of the same people who preached doom when the C-train crossed the river into Sunnyside. This argument is on the same level.

[Bigtime]

I love the concept and have used it a few times. My only concern is the fact that it seems that its being used primarily by downtown commuters. The evening and morning maps are ridiculous -- all the cars are out in the periphery each night (no doubt in front of the house of someone who is counting on it being there in the morning), then they all "disappear" into the core by 8AM. Instead of supplanting car ownership, like a true car-share ought to be doing, our program seems to be supplanting transit and saving car commuters a load of cash on parking. Not exactly in-line with our core transportation plans. I'm also fully expecting to hear about Car 2 Go rage as neighbours begin poaching the cars that commuters had expected to have each morning.

I hope the city and Car 2 Go figure out a solution soon. Living in the inner-ish city (Bankview in my case) and not being able to find a car between 7 AM and 5PM is a bit irritating. I've heard of folks who live downtown/beltline that are equally bothered by not being able to find a car in the evening.

I'm definitely not a big user of the service, but the same problem McMurph is having occurs in Sunnyside as well. Unfortunately I think that is just going to be the nature of the beast in Calgary.

Unless Car2Go launches "Car2Go Core" with a subfleet of vehicles with a much smaller home area (Hillhurst-Sunnyside, CBD, Beltline, Inglewood/Ramsay, Mission). I bet if they charged a little more per minute (but still cheaper than a cab) it could be a feasible idea and get lots of use.

[hulkrogan]

A simple fix would be to have a surcharge on cars that stay outside of the core overnight.

That's completely backwards. The cars SHOULD be out of the core at night. If they aren't in residential areas in the evening, they are useless.

What they need to do is ding people dropping cars in the core on weekdays between 6 and 10AM.

[Cage]

The complaints that I've heard about residents being angry that Car2Go vehicles are parked in their neighborhood are complete BS, in my opinion.

I have read the article. I can see the complaints of St Andrews Heights residents.

The issue the residents of t Andrews have is with the Car2Go allowance to park in residential permit areas. From the complaints, it appears that multiple Car2Go users have found a work around to the resident permit zones by Foothills. Specifically, Foothills hospital users are usiung Car2Go and parking the vehicles in St Andrews Heights. If this is being done by employees or other regular users of Foothills, I can see the residents complaints. The residential permit process for Foothills was to ban people from outside the community parking their cars for the day. Car2go residential permit allowance gets around the reason for the residential permits.

Here is what the City News Blog had to say about the issue:
Be a good neighbour. Many communities in the “home area” have residential parking restrictions, meaning that on-street parking is intended for residents and visitors with permits. These restrictions are usually found in areas with nearby educational institutions, CTrain stations and shopping centres. car2go vehicles can park in any residential parking zone, however we ask that members are respectful of the residents. If you notice car2go vehicles already parked on the street, simply park the car a block or two away or around the corner, so there’s room for other vehicles to park on the street too
http://www.calgarycitynews.com/2012/10/car2go-parking-dos-and-donts.html

[RyLucky]

I love the concept and have used it a few times. My only concern is the fact that it seems that its being used primarily by downtown commuters. The evening and morning maps are ridiculous -- all the cars are out in the periphery each night (no doubt in front of the house of someone who is counting on it being there in the morning), then they all "disappear" into the core by 8AM. Instead of supplanting car ownership, like a true car-share ought to be doing, our program seems to be supplanting transit and saving car commuters a load of cash on parking. Not exactly in-line with our core transportation plans. I'm also fully expecting to hear about Car 2 Go rage as neighbours begin poaching the cars that commuters had expected to have each morning.

I hope the city and Car 2 Go figure out a solution soon. Living in the inner-ish city (Bankview in my case) and not being able to find a car between 7 AM and 5PM is a bit irritating. I've heard of folks who live downtown/beltline that are equally bothered by not being able to find a car in the evening.

I live in Sunnyside and Car2Go has been great. Day or night, there is almost always one within a few blocks. The cars go where the people go!

I was wondering, what's the rule with Car2Go and snowroutes? Does somebody move them when they have to plow, or are drivers liable if they were they left it there after the parking ban was declared?

[McMurph]

A simple fix would be to have a surcharge on cars that stay outside of the core overnight.

Even better would be a surcharge on parking downtown between 7 and 9AM.

[DizzyEdge]

All you'd have to do is remove the free parking (ie don't allow ending a rental in a pay zone), and people would stop using them to commute.

[kw5150]

just leave it alone.

[ByeByeBaby]

I was wondering, what's the rule with Car2Go and snowroutes? Does somebody move them when they have to plow, or are drivers liable if they were they left it there after the parking ban was declared?

The last driver is responsible for cars left on snow routes, to my understanding.

[93JC]

All you'd have to do is remove the free parking (ie don't allow ending a rental in a pay zone), and people would stop using them to commute.

A lot of people would probably stop using them at all.

[McMurph]

The free parking in residential zones, park-plus zones and hourly restricted areas is pure genius. I love that part of the program and doubt it would work at all without it. I'm curious as to the nature of their arrangement with the city. I would hope that the city is getting a fair whack of cash in return.

What I object to (and only mildly at that) is people subverting the highly effective parking policies of downtown Calgary and a great car share program to get back into single occupancy private cars heading downtown at rush hour. I'd rather they were in a bus, leaving the cars for people who need to bomb around on less predictable and less transit friendly trips.

[Ramsayfarian]

I would love to see all of the things that have been left in car2go's to date. Would be funny, and some things not as funny. Does anyone know where they put these found items?

Excuse the tardy response, but I just noticed your post.
Best thing I've found yet, was a draft of a love letter some guy wrote to his fiance before their wedding day. One of his promises to her, was to watch less sports and clean the house more. I

[93JC]

You guys crack me up. 'Commuting' is GOOD for Car2Go, it makes the cars more convenient for most people to use. You want the cars to be where the people are, and for the most part people are downtown in the middle of the day and not downtown otherwise.

If I'm working downtown, whether or not I used a Car2Go to 'commute' there in the morning, I want the cars to be concentrated downtown during the day. That way I can easily find and take one to, say, a meeting. Unless I live downtown I want the cars to be out of the core in the evening, somewhere near my home, so that I can use one to go shopping, or (*gasp*) take it back downtown to go dining, to the CPO, to a Flames game (assuming they were playing, of course...). Then I or someone else can take it back home to the periphery, where I or someone else can 'commute' back downtown in the morning, I or someone else can use it during the day, etc.

More people work downtown than outside of downtown, and more people live outside of downtown than in downtown. What you see as "gaming the parking system" and avoiding using transit I see as a natural result of where most people are and where they want to go during the course of a given day. If there were surcharges for leaving cars parked overnight outside of the core or parking cars IN the core during the day then we wouldn't even be having this discussion: the program would have been dead by now.

For the most part the Car2Go I see parked out in front of someone's house at 6 pm is gone by 8 pm. The car I saw parked on 12th Ave at 9 am is gone by noon. That's the whole point of the program.

[93JC]

Excuse the tardy response, but I just noticed your post.
Best thing I've found yet, was a draft of a love letter some guy wrote to his fiance before their wedding day. One of his promises to her, was to watch less sports and clean the house more.

I found a coffee cup from Phil & Sebastian. Not a paper cup: a $26 double-walled ceramic travel cup. I thought it was a paper cup from afar and grabbed it with the intention of throwing it out.

I wasn't sure what to do with it. Leave it in the hopes whoever had used the car last would find it again? Take it to the Car2Go office (which didn't seem to be open at the time...) and leave it with them? In the end I threw out the silicone cap and threw the cup in the dishwasher. In fact I'm using it as I type this.

To whoever left their Phil & Sebastian travel cup in a Car2Go: sorry for stealing your cup.

[Ramsayfarian]

I say leave it as is. The system works fine. I am a bit worried that the City might do something about parking downtown though. Despite their wee size, they're taking up a ton of street parking in the core.

If one doesn't end their rental, they're free to park the car in a parkade or even in their own personal garage.

2 HR zones are cool. Until recently, I parked my own car in the same 2 hour spot all day, 5 days a week for more than a few months and have never been ticketed.

Poaching a Car2Go from in front of a residence first thing in the morning is a great way to start the day.
I like to pretend that I'm stealing someone's car. On the flipside, it feels like my car was stolen when someone scoops the one I've left in front of my place.

[McMurph]

Poaching a Car2Go from in front of a residence first thing in the morning is a great way to start the day. I like to pretend that I'm stealing someone's car.

I feel the same rush. Gotta be careful, though - smart cars are the gateway drug of auto theft. Next thing you know you'll be jacking someone's Aveo.

[DizzyEdge]

I'm waiting for the day where I've reserved a car that happens to be in front of someone's house, and as I get to it I see the house occupants trying to swipe in not understanding why it won't accept their card. Could be awkward.

[monocle]

If I join car2go, I'm for sure cabbing it to someone's house to poach.