Hello, As a ZipCar member for something like 3+ years (back when there was only one car at Sargent's Wharf), I am saddly being relocated from Boston to Chicago. While I will live and work in the city of Chicago, I will have to resort to either owning a car or renting one for a day when I need to go visit IKEA in Schaumburg or the outlets in Aurora.

Chicago city parking is insane. Most of the places I'm looking at have parking for and add'l $30K or $200 per month, etc.

Sounds like a perfect place for ZipCar!! Any chance you're swooping into Chicago in the near future??????

-- Anonymous, June 11, 2004

Answers

Veronica, As you can well imagine, there are a number of hurdles to clear before a car share can set up viably in a new location. First and foremost are the local regulations on short term rentals, which are sometimes treated like taxis. Next, there's the state insurance laws, which will significantly impact the shared car cost. Finally, there's the overall demand, which generally requires a decent local transit system so that a good density of people can get to work without a car (and of course, the $200+/mo must also be factored in).

-- Anonymous, June 29, 2004