Free-floating car share now serves the entire city with more vehicles available to members

SEATTLE – In January Mayor Murray and the Seattle City Council advanced legislation to expand Seattle’s successful free-floating car share program. Seattle’s existing free-floating car share operator, car2go, has now extended their service area to encompass the entire city. Coupled with this larger service area, the free-floating car share legislation also allows companies to have more vehicles in their fleets. To serve the more than 60,000 current Seattle area members, car2go will be able to have up to 750 vehicles in Seattle, and many of those new cars are available and on the street today.

“Car share is making a difference, as people who use cars infrequently now have an easy alternative to ownership,” said Mayor Ed Murray. “Seattle continues to promote more choices, with equity for all neighborhoods being a driving principle.”

Seattle’s free-floating car share program, managed by the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), allows car share companies to pay for parking as a part of their annual permit fee. Because parking is paid for by the company and car share members can use a car only when they need it, car sharing can be a more convenient option than driving a personal vehicle. Early program data indicate that three to four percent of car share members have given up their personal vehicle. As a result, the program may lead to fewer overall vehicles on Seattle streets.

The January free-floating car share legislation also created the opportunity for new car share operators to enter the Seattle market. In 2015 SDOT anticipates that one additional car share company will likely come to the city, and that there will also be a greater variety of types of cars available.

“Thanks to this legislation, drivers will have more cars to choose from and more destinations available to them,” said SDOT Director Scott Kubly. “Given car2go’s success, we look forward to more car sharing companies soon serving the Seattle marketplace.”

Car sharing is a valuable transportation option for many people throughout Seattle. The expansion of car share marks Seattle’s leadership in promoting transportation options that meet our goal of providing a connected transportation system.