The list of transportation options for people living in downtown Regina is about to get a little longer. The Regina Car Sharing Cooperative has recently received start up grants from both the Federal Government’s Eco Action Fund, and the Government of Saskatchewan’s Green Community Fund. The group is currently in the process of incorporating as a cooperative, and hopes that its first cars will soon be on the road.

What is Car Sharing?

First gaining popularity in Europe in the late 1980’s, car sharing is a fast growing industry. Today there are over 600 communities around the world in which you can car share. In Canada alone there are 13 cities that already have car sharing initiatives in place with a total of over 21,000 members, and nearly 1000 vehicles!

While many different models exist, the basic concept of the Regina Car Share Cooperative is fairly simple. Cars will be bought or leased by the Co-operative, and stationed at locations downtown. As members require the use of a car, they reserve time through the Cooperative’s website. Each member is given a key for direct access to all vehicles and members pick up the designated car and drop it off at the same location. Cars will be equipped with a log book in which members will record the car's mileage when they leave and return with the vehicle. At the end of each month members will receive an itemized bill made up of a monthly membership fee and usage fees per-hour and per-kilometer.

Private Car Ownership Can Be More Expensive Than You Realize.

In 2005, the Canadian Automobile Association conducted a study looking at the cost of owning an automobile in Canada. The Study looked at a 2005 Chevy Cavalier and accounted for both ownership costs (insurance, financing, vehicle depreciation, etc) and operating costs (fuel, oil, tires, etc) and found that based on driving 18,000 km/year, the annual cost of owning the vehicle was $9,273.55. (CAA 2005) That is equal to over $25 a day! For many people living in Regina, this total may actually be higher than that their annual housing and food expenses combined. For people who don’t rely on their car for daily use, or only occasionally need a second car, car sharing has the potential to save thousands of dollars a year.

Environmental Benefits of Car Sharing

Not only is car sharing good for the pocket book it is also good for the environment. Because car sharing shifts most of the capital cost associated with owning a car to the actual usage of the car, it has proven to be an effective means of discouraging automobile dependency. The pay-per-use financing of automobiles means that other forms of transportation, such as cycling and public transit, are more economically feasible for car sharing members.

Other Benefits

Car sharing may provide members with more fuel efficient and reliable vehicles, and they avoid having to budget or worry about major repair costs, not to mention having to maintain the cars themselves.

If you would like to learn more about the Regina Car Share Cooperative, or get involved, please feel free to contact them at: reginacarshare@yahoo.ca

Idling in Saskathcewan

Fall is here and that means children across the province are back to school. While students are busy learning about climate change and important role they play in their environment, many of their parents might be up to a wasteful habit just beyond the school’s front doors. Idling vehicles in Canada waste literally millions of liters of hydrocarbons and release thousands of tons of Carbon Dioxide into the atmosphere every year.

Idling by parents picking up their children in front of school is especially troubling because not only does it add greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, it also has a major impact on local air quality. Children are particularly vulnerable to air pollution because they breathe faster than adults and inhale more air per kilogram of body weight. Air pollution can even trigger asthma and respiratory problems.

While idling your vehicle to keep warm in the dead of winter may be an occasional Saskatchewan necessity, most idling is unnecessary and simply a matter of habit. To help combat this problem, Climate Change Saskatchewan also offers Idle Free Zone signs, free of charge, to schools and community facilities across the province. Last year, Climate Change Saskatchewan also partnered with the City of Regina to offer Anti Idling presentations to a number of schools across the City of Regina and is looking to do even more this year.

If your school or community facility is interested in receiving an Idle Free Zone sign, or would like to know more about anti-idling presentations at your school please e-mail us at info@climatechangesask.ca.