The Governor Providing $25,000 To Encourage Car Sharing Efforts
CHICAGO - Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich’s top economic development official today welcomed Zipcar’s expansion in Illinois and celebrated the Midwest launch of its unique car sharing service. The Governor is contributing $25,000 to advance this car sharing effort, which is an innovative way to reduce urban automobile congestion, improve quality of life and spur economic development. This support, which is being matched with $25,000 from Zipcar, will help to introduce more residents and businesses to car sharing and expand the company’s Chicago fleet, which began with nearly 100 vehicles. Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) Director Jack Lavin joined Scott Griffith, CEO of Zipcar; Sadhu Johnston, Commissioner of the City of Chicago Department of the Environment; Jerry Roper, President and CEO of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce; and other civic and government leaders at Water Tower Park.
“We are very pleased to welcome Zipcar’s expansion in Chicago and to be supporting efforts to increase car sharing, which is a cost-effective transportation resource that benefits the environment, economy and our communities. As we work everyday to keep the Illinois economy expanding, we will continue supporting innovative companies and ideas that help create more opportunities and better jobs,” said Gov. Blagojevich.
Zipcar was established in Massachusetts in 1999 and offers a contemporary, green innovation that enables residents and businesses to utilize pre-reserved cars parked in neighborhoods around the city as an option to car ownership. Zipcar’s 70,000 members nationwide enjoy 24/7 access to fuel-efficient new cars at low hourly rates that include gas, insurance, reserved parking and other features. Through its service, the company seeks to reduce car ownership, reduce fuel consumption and emissions by providing high efficiency vehicles to members, allow communities to replace parking with green space and increase use of alternative modes of transportation. Zipcar will utilize this grant and matching funds to assist with marketing efforts aimed at increasing the trial and adoption of car sharing and to also gather information to quantify the return on investment and public policy benefits of car sharing. Additionally, the City of Chicago has exempted car sharing from its tax on rental cars to help keep hourly rates low, since car sharing will benefit the environment and relieve parking and traffic congestion.
Zipcar, whose offices are based downtown, began with nearly 100 vehicles and offers its service in 14 neighborhoods throughout the Chicago Metro region, which are parked near transportation lines.
The Chicago office will serve as the center of Zipcar’s Midwest operations and will continue to expand its service. Zipcar currently has more than 10 full and part-time employees and expects to add 10 to 15 full and part-time employees in the coming years. Three representative Zipcars—a MINI Cooper, Toyota Prius hybrid and Scion xB—were present at the announcement and sent off to neighborhoods around Chicago to help meet members’ urban transportation needs.
“Our launch and expansion plans will make even more Zipcars available at locations where people live and work so Chicagoans can rely on us to make real lifestyle changes. Our members have easy access to a growing network of fuel-efficient, attractive vehicles, and I thank Gov. Blagojevich for helping us expand our efforts. Customers can reserve our vehicles at low hourly rates that include gas, parking and insurance with the goal of residents and businesses rethinking urban car ownership,” said Zipcar CEO Scott Griffith.
“Car sharing is a new, creative way to improve our community’s urban infrastructure by taking cars off the roads, freeing up parking, reducing auto emissions and giving new transportation options that make good economic and environmental sense. Gov. Blagojevich and I welcome Zipcar’s expansion in Illinois, and we are excited about the possibilities that car sharing can bring into Chicago and Illinois,” said State Rep. Barbara Flynn-Currie (D-Chicago), who helped secure the grant funding.
Zipcar currently operates more than 1,800 vehicles in 12 states and provinces, including metro New York, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Minneapolis, Toronto and Washington, DC. With Zipcar's award-winning technology, accessing and using a Zipcar is as easy as getting cash from an ATM. In minutes or up to a year in advance, members can reserve Zipcars online or by phone, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Zipcar members have automated access to any Zipcar across North America using a "Zipcard" to simply unlock the door and drive away. With Zipcar, gas, parking and insurance are always included. For more information, visit www.zipcar.com.
“Gov. Blagojevich and I are happy Zipcar is expanding in Illinois, which will provide residents and businesses with a unique, convenient service, while reducing traffic congestion and fuel consumption, maximizing our taxpayer’s dollars and improving our quality of life. With our assistance, we look forward to watching an increase of this car sharing service and creating more opportunities and economic development in our communities,” said DCEO Director Jack Lavin.
This support for Zipcar compliments Gov. Blagojevich’s recently unveiled energy plan, which will help free consumers from the grip of foreign oil and gas interests by giving drivers and homeowners alternatives to the high cost of gasoline, stabilize energy prices, give Illinois farmers new markets for their crops and create 30,000 new jobs. The Governor’s plan sets a goal of replacing 50 percent of the state’s energy supply with homegrown fuels by 2017. Illinois would be the first state to reach this level of energy independence.
Gov. Blagojevich’s Opportunity Returns regional economic development strategy is the most aggressive, comprehensive approach to creating jobs in Illinois’ history. Since a one-size-fits-all approach to economic development just doesn’t work, the Governor has divided the state into 10 regions – each with a regional team that is empowered and expected to rapidly respond to opportunities and challenges. Opportunity Returns is about tangible, specific actions to make each region more accessible, more marketable, more entrepreneurial and more attractive to businesses. It is about upgrading the skills of the local workforce, increasing the access to capital, opening new markets, improving infrastructure, and creating and retaining jobs. Opportunity Returns is about successfully partnering with companies and communities, both large and small, to help all of Illinois reach its economic potential.