The Idea List

If you live in a big city, you might understand the costliness of owning a car: parking, high gas prices, stressful traffic.  This is why so many urbanites simply don’t own one.  But what if you need a car to get to an important meeting, go to the store, or even need one for the whole day just to escape the hustle and bustle for the afternoon?  Zipcar is your answer.  Located in more than 15 major metropolitan areas across the US (and growing rapidly), Zipcar allows you to look up your city online, find a car in your neighborhood, and book anywhere from an hour to a whole day.  Once you sign up and pay a monthly subscription fee, Zipcar sends you a Zip card which allows you to access the car by flashing the card by the windshield of the car you have reserved by phone or over the internet.  The key is in the glove-box, the car is gassed up and ready to go.

Short of a taxi driver, travelling salesman, or truck driver, there are not many people who drive their cars all day, every day.  So why not share the expense?  The ability to use cars on demand rather than paying for private ownership reduces the total numbers of cars on the road by as many as 20 autos per Zipcar, reducing overall traffic volume, and this in turn reduces emissions and the harmful effects of too many cars on the road.  This ultra-convenient new way to look at communal transportation is not shaping up to be some passing fad, but rather an innovative look into the way we travel and the most efficient solution to auto-overpopulation.

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