The .Eugene Car Co-op Twenty-seven percent of Eugene, Oregon's population walks, skates, bikes, uses the bus, or carpools to work. The city's wonderful alternative modes infrastructure makes it a natural candidate for carsharing. Empowered with a RAIN . magazine article about Berlin's carsharing organization, the German version of the Carsharing book, and a list of contacts, a committed group of seven people (including RAIN's editors) created the Eugene Car Co-op. With faith in each other, we embarked on a great cooperative learning .· experience. There followed months of ironing out hundreds of little details. Research and networking uncovered a surprising number of previous US ·carsharing projects. Information from the Movement.for a New Society's Life Center project .of 30-40 carsharers and STAR (Short Term Automobile Rental), which served·a large San Francisco apartment complex,. clarified the reality of day-to-day operat~on, suggested viable rates, and helped us avoid costly finandal' and organizational ~istakes. Here are some of the things we've learned: . . 1. Find a small group of committed people to make initial start up decisions. 2. Gather all the available information and make contacts with other groups at the beginning of the planning stage. . 3. Be patient and be prepared to work at least 6-12 months from the first meeting until the beginning of operation. 4. Have most of the details figured out before you buy a car (rates, insurance, initial members, contracts, etc.). 5. Verify that potential members are good credit risks to save ·you time and energy at monthly bill collection time. 6. When.you are ready to buy cars, consider getting used cars or donations to keep start up costs low. 7. Include bus passes, transit discounts and bike sharing in P~ge 6 RAIN Summer 1994 Volu.me XIV·, Number 4· membership benefits. Make promoting alternative modes an important component of your organization, as well as make reducing the number of cars in your city a primary goal. 8. Connect with l~cal pedestrian, bicycling, and transit advocacy . groups and activists. 9. Register the name of your organization with tlie Secretary of · ·State as soon as you agree on it. Beware of putting any group property (cars, literature, etc.) under another organization's name before .your relationship to that organization is legally formalized. Also make sure the othergroup's BoardofDirectors is stable and accountable. If you do not legally formalize the relationship, your group could end up fosing precious work. 10. Carsharing can start simply. The Berlin group began when -a couple of brothers shared a common car while living in separ~te liviiig spaces. They used an answering machine to coordinate the use of the car. 11. If you 're sefiously thinking of starting a solid organization, than your group will save a 1ot <?f work and money by ordering the Eugene Car Co-op's Carsharing Start-up Kit. The Kit comes both in printed form and on computer disk. It includes sample Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws, promotional material, tips on how to approach insurance companies, vehicle information; membership educational material,- research material from other US carsharing projects, different car reservation possibilities, order forms for the upcoming US Carsharing Handbook. *The Carsharing Start-up·Kit is copyrighted and is available for use by cooperative groups seeking to start carsharing for ecological purposes. The cost is $50. Ifyou live in Eugene and <!re interested in finding out more or in becoming a member ofthe Eugene Car Co-op, write us at: Eugene Car Co-op, PO Box 30092, Eugene, Oregon W403, USA or call (503) 345-2708; The Kit will save your group much time and mon.ey. It includes: - A Copy ofShort Carsharing Radio a,nd TV shows - Sample: - Membership Application and Cards - Organizational Articles ofIncorporation ~ . . - Organizational Bylaws - Promotional Brochures - Press Releases - Operational Guides, Sign in/out sheets, etc. - Research on Previous Carsharing Projects The Kit comes both in printedform and on computer disks. It is avail<;t-ble to groups with a cooperative, environmental focus for only $50. Orderfrom RAIN, PO Box 30097, Eugene,.OR 97403, USA.
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