Clean Mobility in the Twin Cities

By Dan Shapley News Editor Two cities, and a commitment to low-emissions vehicles, make this car-sharing program twice as nice. One of about 20 car-sharing programs in the country, HourCar offers an alternative for 450 residents who don't need to own a car, or a second car. Instead, members have access to a fleet of cars on an hourly basis for a fee that is often less than the cost of the loan, insurance, maintenance, registration, parking and other costs of owning or leasing their own cars. In the process, it helps clear congestion, reduce pollution and connect like-minded people. The nonprofit Neighborhood Energy Connection has found a niche - despite competing with Zipcar, one of the two national commercial car-sharing companies - in part because of its commitment to hybrid vehicles. All but one of its 16 cars is a hybrid, a fact that goes over well in its progressive clientele. "The now award-winning HourCar was the first car share sort of program in Minnesota and the first in the country with a full Prius/hypbrid fleet," said Annie Strickler, communications director for ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability. Started in 2005, HourCar is one of the younger programs in the country - it looks up to Philly CarShare, which has saturated Philadelphia, Pa. with 200-some vehicles - but HourCar is influential in its own right. Smaller cities and college towns around Minnesota are now looking to St. Paul (pop. 275,150) and Minneapolis (pop. 372,811) for guidance. "I think that it can expand and really seep into the fabric of the countryside," said Joe Zimsen, the HourCar program manager. "In Europe, small towns are doing this as well as big cities." The Innovators The Daily Green highlights innovative strategies being used to better the environment. For more innovators, click these links: Plymouth's Local Food Web Boulder's Eternal Sunshine Chicago's Green Roof Revolution