Poor Neighborhoods In L.A. To Get Green Car-Share Program
In many areas, poor residents typically have longer commutes and less access to public transportation than middle- and upper-class communities, yet they’re being excluded from the growing car-share trend.
But that gap may at least begin to close in Los Angeles.
Across the U.S. people earning between $5,000 and $30,000 a year spend about a quarter of their household incomedon’t cater to poorer neighborhoods
But Shared-Use Mobility Center
SUMC partnered with California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the City of Los Angeles to launch a three-year pilot that will bring about 100 electric and hybrid car-sharing vehicles to disadvantaged areas in and around Central L.A.
The goal is to recruit 7,000 users
That alone will help reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 2,150 metric tons of CO2.
The program secured $1.6 million in funding in state cap-and-trade revenues.
SUMC will help move the program along by selecting vehicle locations, creating pricing structures and building support among local stakeholders and community organizations.
“Too often, the shiny new green solutions that get written up and promoted cost too much to be accessible
But while environmentalists laud the mission, identifying a sustainable business model will be critical to keeping the program afloat.
Half of its members had a household income of $25,000 or less and were able to reserve vehicles by the hour at an affordable rate.
It was a lifeline for many clients who otherwise wouldn’t have a means to get around.
One member who had breast cancer
“You gave us an inexpensive way to live our life without hurting us financially
But the nonprofit was forced to shut down because its insurance company said the state law made it too risky to cover the car-sharing organization
It was absorbed by a for-profit company and hopes it will be able to still remain an independent entity.Â
“Everyone deserves affordable and innovative transportation, not just the wealthy,” Mike Galligano, executive director, wrote in a blog post while trying to save the group. “Why is there no car-sharing services in cities like Cleveland, Syracuse, and others like Buffalo? Easy — because for-profit companies do not see the financial benefit in serving these cities.”