Community in action

This evening I had the honour of chairing a meeting of interested community people wanting us to set up our own car (time) share co-op. What an enthusiastic bunch, even when we had to slog through the major decisions in the incorporation document! I'm inspired.

You may be asking what a car share co-op is. It's like the old family car being shared between several drivers, each using the car for his or her own purpose, as needed or wanted. Expenses are (at least in theory!) shared between those family members.

In a community-run and owned co-op the cost of operating the vehicles is shared between the members. The more they drive the vehicles the greater share of the cost they incur. If they don't use the car that month, they pay nothing.

All the hassles of operating a vehicle are taken care of by the co-op. The cost of depreciation is shared. Insurance is shared. So is the car loan. As a result very significant savings are realised.

What's also wonderful is that without one's own car sitting in the driveway people are far more likely to use public transit, cycling, walking, car pooling, and making sure that when they do have the car they make maximum usage of it. As a result car share members are usually in better physical and emotional shape, are more community-oriented (and benefit as such), help to support public transit (which, in turn, adds more frequency to their schedules), greatly reduces the number of vehicles on the road, and far more.

Everyone but the car-related companies benefits.

Going back to the meeting, it just goes to show how a committed bunch of people can bring about positive changes. Indeed, as Margaret Mead pointed out, this is about the only way positive change does occur.

A toast to people working together!