Carsharing in the Twin Cities: Measuring Impacts on Travel Behavior and Automobile Ownership

To evaluate the impact of the arrival of Carsharing in Minneapolis and St. Paul, researchers at the State and Local Policy Program at the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs developed and administered a survey to members of HOURCAR, a local not-for-profit carsharing organization (CSO), and a randomly selected group of non-members living in census tracts containing HOURCAR hubs. Data was collected from the CSO members and non-members during a three week period spanning from September into October 2007. Upon analysis, the data revealed each HOURCAR removes 2.5 other vehicles (one reason this number is much lower than other CSO reports is that the authors chose not to measure whether members decided not to buy a new vehicle), HOURCAR Members demonstrate an interest in deciding whether a car would be their most efficient option for a particular trip, or “judicious automobility,” HOURCAR’s greatest membership hurdle is attitudinal, rather than demographic, and that mobility and finances were the greatest motivators for joining, although the environment was also a consideration.