The Bay Area is a cradle of environmentalism and a region with a rich trove of health and medical research and resources. In this blog, we’ll report on the deepening understanding of how the places we inhabit and the lifestyles we adopt contribute to our own health and the health of our communities.
The 11 on-street spaces in nine neighborhoods around San Francisco are being set aside for City CarShare users as part of a six-month pilot program, according to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency.
Mayor Ed Lee, Board of Supervisors President David Chiu and SFMTA Executive Director Ed Reiskin announced the start of the program at the location of one of the spots that was put in place today at the corner of Taylor and Pacific streets.
Four other spots -- at Polk and Greenwich streets, Clay and Fillmore streets, Valencia and 17th streets and at 38 Harriet St. -- also opened Monday, while six others will be launched in November, SFMTA officials said.
"Car sharing is one of the many transportation options available to San Franciscans," Lee said in a statement. "It can help reduce parking demand and greenhouse gas emissions while improving mobility."
If the pilot program is successful, it will be expanded and made permanent, according to the agency, which will receive $150 per month from City CarShare for each parking space during the six-month testing phase.
City CarShare is a nonprofit that also runs car sharing programs in Oakland and Berkeley.
"To provide attractive alternatives to car ownership, car sharing has to be an essential part of the solution," Reiskin said. "Through this pilot, we're testing ways to make it a more convenient alternative."
© The Bay Citizen, 2012
