CarShare Vermont used UPWP funding to support our efforts to better meet the transportation needs of households with lower incomes by conducting outreach about the expansion of our carsharing service at four affordable housing developments in the Burlington area, and to promote awareness about our MobilityShare membership, which provides free memberships and subsidized driving rates to residents of the properties (and to all income eligible households in the community). This study helped inform an MTI grant awarded by the Vermont Agency of Transportation in late 2020 to introduce electric carsharing onsite at the affordable housing sites to improve access to both our service and to EVs, recognizing that EV access through ownership may be impossible or undesired for many individuals and households.

This report details CarShare Vermont’s key findings and recommendations for effectively integrating electric vehicles (EVs) into shared fleets following a research-turned-pilot project. CCRPC funding supported research and planning, then CarShare Vermont self-funded a project to pilot our first EV with in-kind support from the Burlington Electric Department. The report provides more than 12 months of data about how the EV was used and by whom, its environmental impacts, and the financial and operational implications of converting to an electric fleet, as well as our recommendations for policies that will better support the integration of EVs into carsharing systems.

Historically, carsharing programs across the country have primarily served a younger demographic (people aged 18-45). However, recent research has indicated that Baby Boomers are increasingly relocating to urban areas that offer increased mobility options. As they enjoy a more active, multimodal lifestyle, many are choosing to reduce their vehicle ownership. We wanted to understand if this trend is consistent in Chittenden County, and whether this growing demographic is ripe for carsharing. Our goals for this project were to conduct market research, conduct outreach in collaboration with partners, and increase membership among the population aged 51-69.

This report summarizes the efforts of CarShare Vermont to activate employee members of existing business accounts by encouraging them to utilize CarShare Vermont's service and supporting employers in better integrating CarShare Vermont into their personnel policies and transportation practices. As part of the project, CarShare Vermont set out to develop a suite of outreach materials targeting employees that could be distributed among business members to help them promote carsharing across their organizations. Additionally, CarShare Vermont wanted to understand from business members what information and guidance they needed to best utilize the service and maximize its benefits, such as VMT reduction, cost savings, and employee wellbeing. Finally, CarShare Vermont wanted to develop a resource to help businesses evaluate the impact of offering CarShare Vermont to their employees.

In Vermont, transportation accounts for over half of all green house gas emissions. Driving less is arguably one of the most impactful and immediate personal changes that Vermonters can make to reduce their emissions but a number of factors make it challenging for Vermonters to make this important connection and ultimately change their transportation behaviors. CarShare Vermont designed a community-based social marketing campaign to help people better understand the impact of their personal transportation choices on climate change, and to demonstrate how relatively modest shifts in transportation habits can meaningfully combat climate change. More specifically, we wanted to showcase how utilizing a service like CarShare Vermont allows people to own fewer cars and consequently drive less, making greenhouse gas emissions reductions easier to sustain over the long-term. Learn more at http://www.carsharevt.org/stand-up-to-climatechange/.