Car2Go Coming to Calgary Edit- closing as of October 31

[cam_wmh]

Originally Posted by timun

You won't see more open spots during the working week, you'll see fewer. Those Car2Go cars were available to be used by anyone who had an account, hence they tended to have much, much quicker turnover than a private car.

Yup, but for those users without a car, they will be diverted to transit, or Uber.
Thus, more parking in those instances.

Curious of the Car2go DT commuters, what personal car ownership % looked like.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by cam_wmh

Yup, but for those users without a car, they will be diverted to transit, or Uber.
Thus, more parking in those instances.

Well... No. You're assuming that those spots won't be taken by other people with cars, who will not move their cars as often as the car2gos get moved around.

It'll probably be the case that there will be more available spaces in Calgary City lots, because those are in lower demand, but not so for street parking.

Curious of the Car2go DT commuters, what personal car ownership % looked like.

Pretty high among the people in my office who use it. Honestly, it's not all THAT cheap, so most of the non-car owners ride transit.

[browna]

Given the geographical restrictions, not a surprise. It was Marda Loopers at the edge of the area, (my old boss was one of them) that instead of taking a fairly straightforward 10 min bus into Dt, they often took a C2g. Anywhere C2g serviced, it was basically replacing a very simple transit route. In the Beltline, people could walk to work as well and not need a C2g except on poor weather days.

The turnover Ina city like Vancouver where you had people going to shop on Robson, go to Granville Island or Stanley Park, had 3x or 4x turnover per day then the 7 hours most sat in Dt Calgary between 8 and 3pm. And other cities have a downtown that people travel to and around on weekends, not here so much. And all the people that I knew that had C2g account had their own car for weekends, it really was an alternative to a short bus ride.

Only reason Toronto got dropped was the high fees they were getting charged by the city, and I suspect a strong taxi commission is behind that.

[CorbeauNoir]

Originally Posted by Weitz

Sure if you totally ignore every other city they have been in for much longer already.

How many lime bikes did you see being ridden around last year when it was 30 below and there was two feet of snow piled up on the curbs? Why would scooters make the prospect of that kind of ride any more appealing?

Furthermore, where are the hard stats of 'every other city' they've been in? What relevance do they even have when most of their locations have mild-to-nonexistent winters?

[Aleks]

I agree zoning was an issue. I would have gladly kept an account but I'm just outside the zone so it was too limiting

Sent from my SM-T590 using Tapatalk

[timun]

Originally Posted by Jacks

Disagree, people with private cars don't usually use short term street parking to park all day. Street parking is about $5/hr in the core, you're better off parking in a lot if you're there all day.

It seems you disagree with me because you perceived the Car2go Smart cars were stationary the whole day:

I don't know about recently but this is what I saw when they first came out. Rows of Smartcars that sucked up all of the street parking all day. I used to joke they were like Agent Smith, they just keep multiplying and taking over everything.

In my experience the turnover downtown was significant; maybe you just didn't perceive it because the Smart cars looked identical. I used to use Car2go to commute and for running business errands during the day, and usually the car I parked on the street at 8:00 was already gone by the time I needed it again at 8:30. However, it wasn't uncommon to see another Smart car in its place; if you weren't paying close attention you'd think it was only one car.

Originally Posted by browna

Given the geographical restrictions, not a surprise. It was Marda Loopers at the edge of the area, (my old boss was one of them) that instead of taking a fairly straightforward 10 min bus into Dt, they often took a C2g. Anywhere C2g serviced, it was basically replacing a very simple transit route. In the Beltline, people could walk to work as well and not need a C2g except on poor weather days.

Not gonna lie: I was one of those people too. I used to take transit downtown (although my trip was not a breezy 10 minutes; it was often >45 minutes including waiting time), and got sick of it. When Car2go started up service I was one of the very early members, and I drove them once or twice per day.

I stopped using the service regularly about 18 months ago as they shifted the make-up of their fleet from the Smart cars to Mercedes-Benz CLA and GLAs. I especially hate the CLAs with a passion (bigger exterior dimensions than you'd think, tiny on the inside, crappy transmission, nigh undriveable if not for the blindspot monitoring system and rear camera), and I was not enthused about paying 40% more for them than the Smarts. Given the price increases (per minute rates went up, $1 new trip fees were added up to a max of $90 per year, then the limit went up to $200 per year...) and the issues I had with availability—often requiring me to walk 20-30 minutes to get a car—I bit the bullet and started driving my own car downtown every day instead. It got to be too much of a pain in the ass to find them and I was spending upwards of $15/day, so at that point I figured I might as well spend about the same on parking and gas for my own car knowing that I'd have the convenience of being able to return to the exact same spot I'd parked it in. I went from using Car2go 300 times a year to about once every other month.

[chemgear]

Another day, another lane blocked by an abandoned car during rush hour. Ridiculous they still can't care enough to run their business properly.

It might have been them just giving up as they leave if it wasn't for the fact that I've lost count how many times this happens since their arrival.

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by timun

I especially hate the CLAs with a passion

I definitely learned I'd never want to own a CLA or GLA...I kind of chuckle any time I see someone driving one that they own/lease themselves. C2G also dissuaded me from any notion of owning a smart car (though can't say I was ever really considering it)

The GLA was pretty handy a few times - we took one for a full day in Austin to roam the hills west of town...certainly more comfortable than a smart and the process is so much better than getting a rental car even if it costs a bit more for a single day. Was also able to throw my bike in one and drive home last time I got a flat and didn't feel like patching it on the curb.

[Jacks]

It seems you disagree with me because you perceived the Car2go Smart cars were stationary the whole day:

I disagreed because I think very few people are going to park their private car on the street all day at $5/hr and having to start new parking sessions every 30min - 2hr, they'll park in a lot.

[timun]

Originally Posted by chemgear

Another day, another lane blocked by an abandoned car during rush hour. Ridiculous they still can't care enough to run their business properly.

It might have been them just giving up as they leave if it wasn't for the fact that I've lost count how many times this happens since their arrival.

Users aren't supposed to park in zones with rush hour parking/stopping restrictions. The ticket and impound fees would be passed on to the person who parked it.

[timun]

Originally Posted by Jacks

I disagreed because I think very few people are going to park their private car on the street all day at $5/hr and having to start new parking sessions every 30min - 2hr, they'll park in a lot.

So what makes you think Car2go cars were left on the street all day?

[Jacks]

Originally Posted by timun

So what makes you think Car2go cars were left on the street all day?

You said that there will be less parking available because private cars will be parked for long periods. Here's your post.

Originally Posted by timun

You won't see more open spots during the working week, you'll see fewer. Those Car2Go cars were available to be used by anyone who had an account, hence they tended to have much, much quicker turnover than a private car.

To which I directly replied.

Originally Posted by Jacks

Disagree, people with private cars don't usually use short term street parking to park all day. Street parking is about $5/hr in the core, you're better off parking in a lot if you're there all day.

[timun]

Originally Posted by Jacks

You said that there will be less parking available because private cars will be parked for long periods.

No, I said the turnover of those on-street spots occupied by Car2go cars was much quicker than private cars. You said:

Originally Posted by Jacks

Disagree, people with private cars don't usually use short term street parking to park all day.

So if you weren't implying that Car2go cars "usually use short term street parking to park all day", what point were you trying to make here?

[jwslam]

Originally Posted by chemgear

Another day, another lane blocked by an abandoned car during rush hour.

I fail to see how this is different than any personal cars, or people who are "just stopping to pick up my wife, so my 4 way flashers mean I can be here for 15 minutes"

[DoubleK]

Only two days left. Kinda sad to see it go, it was my primary way of getting to the saddledome.

[getbak]

So, if I'm in a Car2Go at midnight on November 1, do I get to keep the car?

[nik-]

Maybe if you can find one. The number available is a tiny fraction for the last week.

[DoubleK]

Originally Posted by nik-

Maybe if you can find one. The number available is a tiny fraction for the last week.

I only count 15 available right now.

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by getbak

So, if I'm in a Car2Go at midnight on November 1, do I get to keep the car?

Yep just take it home!

[Aleks]

Originally Posted by Weitz

Yep just take it home!

Its like musical chairs, with smart cars. The winner keeps the car