car2go Optimistic Toronto Will Establish City's First Free-Float Carshare Pilot Project

New City of Toronto Transportation Services report supports free-float carshare pilot, citing numerous sustainability, affordability, quality of life benefits for Torontonians

Torontonians love carshare: Toronto ranks #1 as car2go's most active city of 26 cities the service is offered worldwide

TORONTO, Jan. 30, 2018 /CNW/ - car2go is optimistic that Toronto City Council will vote in favour of a new, one-year pilot project that would enable free-floating, shared vehicles to park in residential permit parking areas across the city. City Councillors are expected to vote on this critical mobility enhancement for Torontonians in their next round of meetings beginning at city hall tomorrow.

A Transportation Services proposal published January 24^th strongly supported a free-float carshare pilot, stating that carshare offers "a number of benefits to individuals, businesses, the environment, community, and the transportation network, including: reduced vehicle ownership rates; reduced household transportation costs; reduced vehicle kilometres travelled; reduced greenhouse gases and emissions; and an increase in walking, cycling, and transit use."  

"We have been in discussions with the city for the past five-plus years in an effort to establish Toronto's first free-float carshare pilot," said Paul DeLong, CEO of car2go North America. "We are optimistic that City Council will support Transportation Services' recommendation to establish Toronto's first free-float carshare pilot project."

"In the city's own words, Toronto is well suited for carsharing, given its high population density in the downtown core. car2go has invested years working with key stakeholders including Transportation Services, the mayor's office, and City Councillors to effectively address any concerns they may have. We have also joined with other carshare service providers and industry experts to share our deep expertise on how to construct the best framework for free-float carshare. As Toronto continues to grow, carsharing is one more solution to help reduce car ownership and improve both mobility and quality of life in Toronto. Over 70,000 Torontonians already use car2go to move around the city, and our hope is that a pilot project will help amplify the many quality of life benefits carshare provides to more Torontonians," continued DeLong.

car2go's membership in Toronto increased by 35 per cent year over year in 2017. Toronto consistently ranks as car2go's most active car2go city in the world, meaning car2go Toronto vehicles are in use with the highest frequency of all of the services' 26 global locations – more than cities like Rome, Berlin, New York, and Vancouver. Analyst firm Frost & Sullivan projects that by 2025, 36 million people worldwide will use carshare services like car2go.

Once approved by City Council, car2go will apply for all necessary pilot permits and looks forward to being a part of Toronto's long-term transportation future.  If enacted, the free-floating carshare pilot will begin April 1, 2018.

car2go is the world's largest free-float carshare service, with nearly three million members sharing 14,000 vehicles worldwide. Every 1.2 seconds, someone in the world takes a trip in a car2go vehicle. Research has proven that free-float carshare like the service offered by car2go effectively reduces road congestion while improving urban air quality. For more about car2go's positive impact in Toronto, visit www.torontolovescarsharing.ca.

About car2go N.A. LLC
car2go N.A., LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Daimler North America Corporation, offers an innovative mobility solution in rapidly growing urban areas via a carsharing network of affordable, eco-friendly Mercedes-Benz and smart vehicles. A flexible and "on demand" mode of transportation, car2go complements existing public transportation by bridging the gaps between the "first and last mile" of a member's commute. car2go members use a free, downloadable app on their smartphone to find, reserve, take and end trips in car2go vehicles. TIME Magazine ranked the car2go app #5 on its "Top 10 Apps of 2017" list. Today, car2go's global operation is the largest, fastest-growing carsharing program in the world with more than three million registered members and a fleet of nearly 14,000 vehicles in 26 locations in North America, Europe and Asia. Further information on car2go is available at car2go.com and car2go.com/NA/en/press/.

SOURCE car2go

car2go N.A. Press Contact: Mike Silverman, car2go N.A., LLC, 512-580-0415, [email protected]