Zip It

For more than five years, Philadelphians have been ditching their own cars in favor of those owned by PhillyCarShare. The program's fleet of sedans, hybrids (which comprise more than 50% of the fleet), convertibles, and pick-up trucks has provided the right wheels for the job for thousands of part-time drivers in our fair city. Each car shared by PhillyCarShare members replaces about 23 individually-owned vehicles. The company itself has become a much-loved local success story and a tireless champion of green living.

Enter Zipcar, a national company that also aims to convince drivers to exchange their Hondas and Fords for communal keys. We've got no problem with their mission; after all, fewer cars on our streets mean less time spent circling the block in search of parking, right? Plus, given the propensity of our fellow city-dwellers to eschew auto insurance, it's nice to know that more of those on the road are insured.

But PhillyCarShare has been having just such an effect here for the last half decade. And in that time, they've also introduced such innovative programs as totally free memberships, eligibility for 18-year-old drivers, child seats, free rides on rail transit, flexible reservation searches, and a debit billing system that enabled even the lowest-income households to join. They also have the densest car-sharing network in North America, with car-sharing pods on every Center City block. Through it all, they've remained a nonprofit company dedicated to grassroots environmentalism.

So who needs Zipcar? Sure, a little healthy competition usually benefits consumers, especially when it comes to pricing. But we find it beyond offensive when a publicist sends out a press release stating that "Zipcar—the world's largest car sharing company—is coming to Philadelphia to lay the smack down on PhillyCarShare." Wait: let us get this straight. A national, for-profit corporation is breezing into town to wage war on a popular, homegrown nonprofit and we're supposed to jump up and cheer? Don't the corporate bosses at Zipcar know that Philly is fiercely loyal to its underdogs? We're interested to see how this all plays out, but for the record, we're rooting for the home team.

Image via Flickr user SqueakyMarmot.