A year ago, the idea of sharing a car with a dozen strangers might have seemed a little odd. But with gas prices at an all-time high and environmentally conscious consumers looking for ways to cut back on their resources, Ithaca CarShare seems to have found its niche at just the right time.
And Andy Goodell ’08 is at the forefront of a program that has grabbed attention far beyond the town where residents can say no-thanks to owning their own cars and opt for a more environmentally friendly option. When CarShare’s first fleet of vehicles became available for public use on June 25, they caught the attention of CNN, the Boston Globe, Forbes, and Newsday—not to mention nearly every media outlet in central New York and the 70 people who had already signed up for the program.
“The publicity is something we never even expected,” said Goodell, a Geology and Environmental Sciences major who became CarShare’s assistant director in May. “I thought we’d become a big name in Ithaca, because we’re planning to expand our fleet in the coming years. We had a lot of members sign up even before the service was available, but it was certainly more than I expected, in a really good way.”
Goodell first heard of Ithaca CarShare in April, when CarShare Director Jennifer Dotson visited the Pine Lake Environmental Campus to talk about the program. At the time, the program was still in the development stages, finalizing insurance coverage to get the cars up and running. Soon after, a job posting with the program caught Goodell’s attention.
“I knew this was something I would like to do,” he said. “I knew I didn’t want an office job—I wanted something out in the community that meant something, and I thought CarShare was a great opportunity for that.”
So how does it work? Ithaca CarShare—one of about 30 carshare programs in North America—owns six Nissan Versa vehicles that are parked at various locations throughout the city. Members sign up for the service, which costs between $50 and $200 a year, then make reservations to use a car when they need one. They’re then given a key code to unlock the car, which is theirs to use as they wish until the end of their reservation. When they’re done, they simply return the car to its starting location and lock it up—ready for the next CarShare user.
Not only does the program eliminate the need for every driver to own a car, Goodell said, but the volume of CarShare members means that for every CarShare vehicle on the road, there are 15 fewer privately owned cars.
“That means less gas, less resource use, and fewer people buying second cars,” he said.
And with such a strong response to the program, CarShare intends to expand its fleet and make more options available to residents in the Ithaca area. Over the next few years, the group hopes to add a pickup and hybrid vehicles to its fleet, as well as more vehicles to accommodate the return of college students to the area.
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Hartwick College is a private liberal arts and sciences college of 1,480 students, located in Oneonta, NY in the northern foothills of the Catskill Mountains. Hartwick's expansive curriculum emphasizes connecting the classroom to the world. Through personalized teaching, collaborative research, a unique January Term, a wide range of internships, and limitless study-abroad opportunities, Hartwick ensures that students are prepared for the world ahead. Strong financial aid and scholarship programs keep a Hartwick education affordable.
Contact: Jennifer Moritz
E-mail: moritzj@hartwick.edu
Phone: 607-431-4038
