We’re excited that CarShare Vermont can offer a practical alternative to owning a car that includes a variety of real benefits—from cost savings and convenience to peace of mind and mobility. We’re equally thrilled about the long-term environmental and social impacts of car-sharing. With about 20 car-sharing organizations serving over 250,000 people in North America alone, we’re all making a big difference for our communities and the environment we share. Here are some compelling impacts to consider:

Reduced greenhouse gas emissions: Car-share members tend to drive much less than car owners. In fact, some studies show that when people join a car-sharing organization, they reduce the amount they drive by half! This results in significantly reduced greenhouse gas emissions, better air quality, and a healthier planet.

Less gasoline consumed: Car-sharing helps reduce our dependence on oil. Each car-share member tends to save 100 gallons of gasoline per year. This amount increases when the shared cars are fueled by alternative sources.

Less congestion: In short, car-sharing removes cars from the road because members get rid of personally owned vehicles. Different studies demonstrate that each shared car replaces 7 to 20 cars! That means CarShare Vermont could help remove 100 cars from our community during the next year.

Better land uses: Excess car use contributes to poor land use patterns, including sprawl and the loss of green space. Because car-sharing combats car-dependence and helps people get rid of their cars, it supports better land uses. Instead of devoting land to car infrastructure, we can use it for people or green space!

Increased use of alternatives: Because car-share members drive less, they tend to walk, bike, and use public transit a lot more. This results in healthier people and can encourage more investment in public transportation.

Social equity: A car-dependent transportation system is inequitable because it forces people to spend their limited resources on purchasing and maintaining cars, a losing investment. Car expenses compete with—if not exceed—the cost of housing for many low-income families. Car-sharing helps make our transportation system more equitable by giving people access to cars at affordable rates and freeing up resources for better purposes.