Carsharing allows people to rent cars on a short-term (hourly or daily), as-needed basis, paying only for the time they use the car and the mileage they drive. The operators of the carsharing program provide vehicle maintenance, repair, and insurance.

The term “shared-use vehicle” is a broader concept that encompasses both carsharing and station car programs.  Station car programs are designed to facilitate transit access in the cases where the final destination of a person who uses public transportation is located too far away from the endpoint of the transit route; people can drive station cars to complete the final leg of their trip.  

Shared-use vehicles allow individuals to gain the benefits of using a private car without the costs and responsibilities of owning a car.  Members of a shared-use vehicle or carsharing program pick-up and return vehicles at shared use lots that are scattered throughout a particular region or concentrated at a transit station, activity or employment center.  Typically, a member makes a reservation in advance, lets him or herself into the vehicle with a personal card or key, and drives away.  When the person is done using the car, she returns the car to its home parking space, locks it, and leaves it for the next carsharer. 

The benefits of carsharing can include:

·        More careful consideration of the necessity, duration, and distance of automobile trips, resulting in decreased vehicle use and ownership.

·        Greater consideration given to alternative modes, resulting in increased transit ridership, biking, and walking.

·        Cost savings to individuals and employers.

·        Energy savings and air quality benefits.

·        Reduced parking demand at participating transit stations, member employer sites, and residential locations.

Due to its many potential benefits, carsharing is gaining in popularity, as demonstrated by increasing North American membership.

·       As of July 2009, 26 U.S. carsharing programs claimed 323,681 members sharing 7,772 vehicles.

·        As of July 2009, 53,916 members shared 2,046 vehicles among 16 carsharing organizations in Canada.

·       As of October 2008, carsharing was operating in 22 countries and four continents, accounting for an estimated 650,000 members sharing approximately 20,000 vehicles. 

·       As of October 2008, carsharing was planned in seven additional countries worldwide.

Innovative Mobility Research (IMR) is an internationally recognized leader in shared-use vehicle research, particularly in testing and evaluating innovative shared-use vehicle services and in tracking trends.

Carsharing Introduction in Chinese 汽车共享简介

汽车共享，一种全新的现代生活。当中国的私家车发展如火如荼的时候，当中国的交通问题、环境问题日益严重的时候，汽车共享作为一种新的交通方式，正在西方国家蓬勃发展。

Goods movement is a term used to describe the way goods are transported by truck, train, ship, and plane. Not only is goods movement vital to the health of the country’s economy, it impacts the health of its citizens. California’s roadways carry more commercial vehicle truck traffic than any other state, and almost all of these trucks run on diesel.  Diesel exhaust has serious effects on human health; it is classified by California as a carcinogen and contains 40 hazardous air pollutants listed by the U.S. EPA.  Moreover, of all transportation sources, heavy-duty vehicles generate 19 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S., and are therefore a significant contributor to global warming.

IMR’s goods movement projects are aimed at researching innovative solutions to reduce the negative environmental and health impacts associated with getting products from Point A to Point B. Currently, IMR’s projects include smart parking for trucks and virtual weigh stations. 

Improving transit connections through innovative mobility options such as carsharing, smart parking, the EasyConnect program, and ridesharing can make seamless door-to-door connectivity a viable option for consumers.  These modes of transportation help get people out of their individual cars and into public transit or carpooling. IMR’s research is focused on improving transit connections because of the many benefits that result. Reducing the number of trips made by single occupancy vehicles eases traffic congestion, saves energy because less fuel is used, and cuts down on air pollution.

Some segments of society face certain challenges to mobility that others in the general population do not. In the transportation arena, special populations can include immigrants, racial or ethnic groups, older people, and people with disabilities. IMR’s current research is examining special populations’ travel patterns to see what can be done to remove any mobility barriers they may face and to enhance their mobility.  IMR’s past projects in this area explored extending safe travel for older people.  

Concerned citizens across the country are speaking up about the role of land use and transportation planning. They’re asking government officials how proposed new highways and alternatives to highways, such as transit and road pricing, will affect their communities, the air their children will breathe, and the amount of time they will spend in traffic commuting to work.

As a result, over the past ten years, regional “visioning” analyses have become increasingly important. Visioning refers to scenarios that allow stakeholders to explore how their community goals can be achieved through alternative futures, rather than just one point-estimate of the future. A visioning exercise may include a no-build scenario, a highway-oriented scenario, a transit-oriented scenario, a pricing scenario, or some combination of elements of alternative scenarios.

IMR researchers are exploring alternative futures using a range of advanced land use, transportation, and emissions models. Researchers are currently studying the environmental justice implications of “smart growth” versus urban sprawl, and the uncertainty in models used in transportation, land use, and air quality planning.  Past research has included: smart growth, investment, and travel pricing; carsharing and carfree housing; advanced transit and highways; and the Smart Mobility Model project.