New car-sharing service coming to Rochester
A new transportation option is making its way down to Rochester.
Hourcar, a nonprofit car-sharing program based in the Twin Cities, will begin operations in Rochester on Monday, Dec. 9.
The service is designed for people who may not own an automobile, but could use one from time to time for quick trips and overnight rentals.
“Our goal is to give people more choices for getting around and to reduce our reliance on single- occupancy vehicles,” Paul Schroeder, CEO of Hourcar, said in announcing the expansion to Rochester. “We want to enable downtown commuters to ride their bike or take the bus because they have access to an Hourcar in case something comes up. We want to give students and people who live downtown an alternative to buying monthly contract parking to store a car they rarely use.”
To start off, Hourcar will have a fleet of five vehicles stationed downtown. Its goal is to grow to a total of 10 vehicles over the next three years.
The cars will be parked in the following locations:
Third Street Parking Ramp, 3rd St SW & 1st Ave SE
Second Street Parking Ramp, 2nd St SE & 1st Ave SE
Ramp 6, E Center St & 1st Ave SE (two cars)
People’s Food Co-op, 519 1st Ave SW
To rent one of the vehicles, drivers 18 and older must first go through a short application process. Once approved, drivers can begin renting the cars on-demand. Rates start at approximately $9/hour. There are also additional membership options for students and businesses.
City officials say the program could provide a boost to the city’s plans of mitigating congestion downtown. The city has set a goal of reducing the number of single-occupied vehicles trips into the downtown from the current 70 percent to 50 percent or less over the next 20 years.
“This program will increase use of public transit, walking, and biking and provide residents with more affordable short-term transportation options,” said Jaymi Wilson, a project manager for the city. “It will also support our community’s sustainability goals by helping to reduce vehicles miles traveled, greenhouse gasses, and both air and parking congestion.”
More information on the program can be found here.
Sean Baker is a Rochester journalist and the founder of Med City Beat.
