Despite never having owned a car in 30 years of roaming this earth, I have always managed to get from place to place without much difficulty. I recently learned of, and have used several times, a great alternative to renting or borrowing a car: PhillyCarShare.

PhillyCarShare, Philadelphia's premier car-sharing service, is a rapidly growing nonprofit organization with over 30,000 members. This cutting edge service provides those that need a car, but don't want to deal with the costs associated with owning one, easy access to one. Not only is it convenient and cost-effective, but it has a positive impact on the environment!

There are hundreds of locations ("pods"), a fleet of cars with many makes and models to choose from - including tons of hybrids - and different rate plans to choose from to suit your individual needs. These cars are available to anyone over 18, and can be reserved the same day without much of a hassle. Rates start around $2.90 per hour or $29 per day, and everything is included (gas, insurance, reserved parking, child seats, and 24-hour roadside assistance). Citizen Hunters, even if you only need to run a few errands or take a last minute trip, this is the way to go!

What I find most fascinating about this organization is its noted environmental impact: it has taken over 7,000 cars off of the streets of Philadelphia, reduced the number of miles driven annually by 16 million, increased use of public transit, walking, and biking among its members by 50%, reduced auto emissions by 95%, and helps former car owners save about $4,000 each year! The numbers speak for themselves!

The City of Philadelphia became the first government worldwide to join the car sharing effort in 2004 with local residents in a fleet reduction effort. So far, 330 municipal vehicles have been eliminated, and Philadelphia taxpayers have saved $6 million because of this program. Wilmington, Delaware recently jumped onto the bandwagon as well! So, I hope all of you Delaware Citizen Hunters to give it a whirl!

Please visit their site or call (215)730-0988 for more information. There's also a PhillyFeed podcast here from this summer.