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Co-op vehicles coming to Whistler

Hybrid, station wagon to kick off car sharing program

The Resort Municipality of Whistler, in partnership with AWARE and Vancouver’s Co-operative Auto Network, is bringing two cars to Whistler as part of a pilot project to see if car sharing could work in the community.

The final leasing arrangements are still being worked out, but at least one of the cars should be available in the next month according to Emma DalSanto, traffic demand management co-ordinator for the RMOW.

"We’ve been talking about bringing car sharing to Whistler for three years now, so it’s been a slow process," she said. "We discovered early on that the Vancouver model wouldn’t work here because of our population and the transient nature… so we talked to CAN (Co-operative Auto Network) to see how we could bring it up here with a slightly different model."

CAN is a non-profit organization that was founded in 1997 to give urban, environmentally aware and low-income individuals the ability to use shared co-operative cars when other transit alternatives were not viable. The benefit is that CAN memberhips are available for a fraction of the cost of vehicle ownership.

The program spread quickly from community to community with the result that CAN now boasts a fleet of 77 vehicles and more than 1,500 paid members. For every 16 people that sign up, paying $500 for a share in the co-op, CAN adds another car to its fleet.

There are also charges for using a car, with three different plans available based on your usage. These charges, which are often lower than rental car rates, pay for fuel, insurance, maintenance and administrative costs.

DalSanto says she attempted to sign up 16 members in Whistler but came up short. Nonetheless, the program is going forward with the Whistler Housing Authority, RMOW and AWARE subsidizing the leasing costs of the vehicles as part of a pilot project. If the cars aren’t utilized enough within the next year to cover costs, the cars will revert back to CAN in Vancouver.

"We know that it will take a while for the program to grow in Whistler to stand on its own feet," said DalSanto. "CAN is not for profit, but they’re not for loss. In the beginning we will have to support any shortfalls in the program, but we hope that won’t be necessary by the time the pilot project ends."

One of the RMOW’s conditions before signing on with the pilot project was that one of the vehicles had to be a gasoline-electric hybrid. After shopping around, DalSanto and CAN decided on the Honda Civic Hybrid.

The other vehicle will likely be a Ford Focus station wagon, another fuel efficient vehicle.

One of the vehicles will likely be based at Dave Murray Place (Beaver Flats) in Creekside. The other will be located in the village. If the program is successful enough to warrant the lease of a third car, the Alpine Meadows area will likely be next.

"We see a lot of potential and a lot of interest in areas where there are larger Whistler Housing projects," said DalSanto.

To encourage participation the pilot project won’t require co-op members to purchase shares in the cars, although shares would be needed for Whistler CAN members who wish to use any of the cars in Vancouver.

Vancouver members visiting Whistler will also be able to use the CAN vehicles here as part of a sharing program that has helped to establish co-ops in resort towns like Tofino and Cortes Island.

According to CAN, the average cost of driving a car in the Lower Mainland is about $8,500 a year when you factor in the cost of the car, depreciation, insurance, fuel, parking and maintenance.

You can still lease vehicles for as low as $200 a month, but the cost of insurance, gas and maintenance typically doubles that figure.

If you don’t drive every day or only need a second car occasionally, CAN is an affordable alternative for many people.

There are three plans available in Vancouver which will be adapted to Whistler with some changes.

The Lower Usage Plan is for people driving an average of 150 km/month. It costs $60 a year for administration fees and 32 cents a kilometre.

The Moderate Usage Plan if for people who still drive less than 225 km/month, and it’s available for $12.50 a month and 27 cents a kilometre.

The Higher Usage Plan is for people driving more than 225 km/month, and it’s available for $35 a month and 17 cents a kilometre.

Under the current Higher Usage Plan a round trip from Whistler to Vancouver (246 kilometres) would cost $41. That includes the cost of gas, insurance, BCAA support and general cleaning.

All plans also charge $1.75 an hour for use up to a maximum of $21 per day, which would bring the cost of an overnight trip to $62, plus the cost of your monthly membership.

The average CAN member in Vancouver pays approximately $75 a month in to the co-op.

For more information on the Co-operative Auto Network visit the Web site at www.cooperativeauto.net.

More information on Whistler’s CAN program will be available in the coming weeks.