San Diego’s car sharing program will soon expand to Ocean Beach with four or five Flexcar vehicles by the first week of May.
Flexcars are rentals with hourly rates, parked in convenient spots throughout the city. Any member can access any car at anytime “” provided it has not already been reserved “” for a simple rate of $10 per hour, which covers gas, parking, insurance, maintenance and 24-hour assistance. Only eligible members “” persons over 21 and under 75 with good driving records and a debit card “” can use the low emission and hybrid vehicles.
Residents can look for one Flexcar vehicle at the corner of Voltaire Street and Sunset Cliffs Boulevard in the Shell Station parking lot, or in the Rite-Aid overflow parking lot off Newport Avenue. An additional two to three permanent Flexcar parking spots have not yet been identified.
“If somebody wants to give us their parking spot, we will give them a few hours of Flexcar every month so they can use the service,” said William del Valle, general manager for Flexcar in San Diego.
The first two cars will likely be Honda Civic Hybrids, while subsequent vehicles will include a Honda Element and a pick-up truck.
Flexcar representatives will visit the People’s Co-op, 4765 Voltaire St., on Saturday, April 29, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will provide information on car sharing, cost savings, community benefits, convenience, membership specials and car locations.
It is important for new members to understand the service, as well as public transportation in their area, said del Valle.
The Flexcar fleet consists mostly of Honda Civic Hybrids, which highlights the impetus for such a program: reduced pollution, less traffic and fewer unnecessary car purchases. According to Flexcar, roughly 50 percent of urban land accommodates cars, which are parked 90 percent of the time. Flexcar claims that one of their cars replaces six vehicles on the road by applying the principle of flexible car sharing to the standard rental model in seven American cities.
San Diego received its first three cars in 2004, but it was not until one year later that the program took off. According to del Valle, Flexcar will introduce about 12 vehicles to Mission Beach and Pacific Beach by July.
Members can reserve a car minutes or a year before they need it. The average member makes a Flexcar reservation six hours in advance for 3.5 hours, three to four times a month. Keycards and pin numbers open reserved cars and keys are left inside a locked glovebox. After use, members return vehicles to the original parking spot for the next reservation and they are billed accordingly. Mexico is off limits, but drivers can cruise until their heart’s content without worrying about mileage. About half of the San Diego Flexcar parking spots are located in garages, while the remaining locations are highly visible, safe and accessible, said del Valle.
Flexcar is a service primarily used by individuals who bike, walk or use the bus to get around, but need a car for short intervals sporadically. There is, however, another demographic for this service. The Federal Transportation Authority has partnered with Flexcar in Seattle, Wash. to provide vehicles at reduced rates to qualified participants of the job access program, which allows low-income job seekers to use the cars for interviews, job training, even child-care trips related to a job search.
According to del Valle, many municipal governments recognize the benefits of Flexcar as cities grow because it reduces the need for street parking and parking garages.
“With the urbanization of downtown San Diego, Flexcar has been a welcomed resource as parking gets tighter,” del Valle said.
Flexcar also partners with developers and building managers to provide condominiums and apartment complexes with vehicles to be marketed as an additional amenity for residents.
Flexcar is available in Los Angles, San Francisco, Portland, Chicago, Seattle and Washington, D.C. The application fee of $35 and the annual membership fee of $40 are currently being applied toward a driving credit for San Diegans who join by April 30 and drive a Flexcar within 60 days of enrolling. Other promotions include discounts for MTS transit pass holders, active duty or staff of Marine Corps Recruitng Depot and San Diego County Bike Coalition members. For more information, visit www.flexcar.com or call (619) 262-FLEX.