Cars and Locations

 In the list of reasons why I joined the carshare, along with saving money you should include saving time. I am so happy I don’t have to deal with car insurance or car maintenance.

While in Denver, we used Colorado CarShare 3 times – even once at the last minute. We found the locations easily each time. This was so much easier than renting a car, paying for parking at the hotel, and letting the car sit unused for days! We look forward to using the service again next time we are in Denver.

For the past five years I have lived a car-free lifestyle in Denver. This decision was made for various reasons, including the need to save money by not owning and maintaining a vehicle. While bike commuting gets me around the city for the most part, there are times when I need a car to run errands, travel to appointments, etc. The bus system can often be time consuming and cumbersome for these types of trips, so I have come to heavily rely upon the Colorado CarShare program.

Service is great, whenever there is a problem one can always reach someone immediately. Jim goes above and beyond to help with all situations and that is most appreciated!

After moving to Boulder in 2005, we discovered we didn’t need cars on a daily basis, and we stumbled on the idea of carsharing. We looked into the program and it sounded perfect for our lifestyle. We use carshare primarily for errands and business appointments. Using car sharing is a great way to cut down on transportation costs and save money, plus there are no hassles of owning a vehicle. The reservation system is quick and easy to use and the cars are well maintained.

We bought an electric car because we were confident that we could get a carshare for longer trips into the mountains. This has a huge impact! We no longer have a gas-powered car because of Colorado Carshare.

We bought an electric car because we were confident that we could get a carshare for longer trips into the mountains. This has a huge impact! We no longer have a gas-powered car because of Colorado carshare.

I joined Colorado CarShare because I didn’t want to own a car in Denver where I was spending 5 months as a visiting scholar on a PhD program at UC Denver. From the beginning, Colorado CarShare staff were very helpful, eager at solving any issues I had, and very friendly. To me, as a foreigner here, it made a lot of difference! The cars I used were all in excellent shape and clean. Once, before picking up a car a staff person called me reporting a problem with the car I was to use and then immediately made arrangements to get me another car. The next day someone brought me the exact car I needed (with winter tires and AWD!). That was awesome!!! For me, it also matters that Colorado CarShare is a non-profit! If you put that together with competency and the good work they do, that’s all someone needs!!!

I joined immediately after returning from a 3-month sojourn in India. I sold my car at approximately the same time. I primarily use Colorado CarShare for errands, and for commuting when my work takes me out of the City of Boulder. The benefits of Colorado CarShare are many-fold. I have booked cars in a pinch in bad weather, late at night, and when I had heaps of groceries. It also saves me approximately $7,000 a year in not having a car (figure is from John Robbins’ book, The New Good Life). In not always driving a car I find I am more interactive with my community, but when I need a car I have one for a nominal fee.

When our car needed repairs that would have cost more than the car was worth, we decided to let it go and donate it to Colorado Public Radio. A few months later we decided to give Colorado CarShare a try to help us organize and run our errands. We’ve been hooked ever since. Recently we’ve started a new food business – Arts ‘n’ Jest Edibles, LLC* – and use the car each morning delivering our baked goods to local coffee shops.

I just had my first car-share experience and it could not have gone smoother. In fact, it was probably the most enjoyable driving experience I’ve ever had. Talk about convenient. I walked two blocks to get the Prius, unlocked it with a device on my keychain, then drove downtown to get my grocery shopping done for the cost of a mocha an hour. No gas, no car insurance, no repair bills, no worries. What a brilliant concept! I HIGHLY recommend Colorado CarShare.

We’re totally car-free and use Colorado CarShare to hit the road with our whole family, including our dog. We can pack up a car or truck to go camping, or for errands like picking up kids to head to a favorite playdate spot, dance class, or soccer game. When friends say to our child, “You don’t own a car?” She says, “Yes I do, we have lots of cars! Red ones and white ones and trucks.” As members, we know we can rely on Colorado CarShare to have a great car available when we need one. We like that the vehicles are new and properly maintained and clean. We are lifers with Colorado CarShare.

I would recommend Colorado CarShare to a friend in a heartbeat. The things I like most about the oganization are the employees and members because they are passionate and inspired in fulfilling their mission. I also love how walking, biking, riding the bus and sometimes driving make Boulder feel accessible and alive. Sometimes I forget that I am in the Rockies and pretend I am wandering around a European city. I wish everyone used car sharing, biked, walked, and rode the bus.

Being a member of Colorado CarShare is very convenient for us. It’s extremely cost effective considering generally how much money is invested in owning a car that sits parked somewhere for most of the time. (And its not getting any cheaper!) We like Colorado CarShare for the sense of community and shared responsibility it fosters. The cars are clean and in great shape – better than we’ve ever owned ourselves. Along with walking, biking and the bus system, being a member of Colorado CarShare is definitely a key part of our transportation mix. We’re not saying we’ll never own a car again, but when we do, we know that we’ll be more conscious about it thanks to being a member of Colorado CarShare.