Comments on: Cloud Commuting, Redux

By: glaxaco

glaxaco — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 13:44:09 +0000

Just a technical point - if Hoboken streets are laid out on a grid, then the 5-minute walk zone around each car should be diamond-shaped rather than circular (the so-called “Manhattan metric”).

By: DoctorJay

DoctorJay — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 01:28:35 +0000

Just saw 2 of these “connect” cars a block away from my place today. They have a Mini and a Yaris at a corner next to Maxwells.

They both have “Connect by Hertz” stickers on the side. Don’t know if it detracts… or if the stickers are a badge of honor for the car-less set.

By: DoctorJay

DoctorJay — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 17:56:10 +0000

I live in Hoboken and am curious why this program would be any different than the Zip car program. Is it a way for Hertz to expand its business? Zip car has been in Hoboken for 2 or 3 years.

I suppose the difference is the parking spaces. Zips were located in some odd spots, but it looks like the public/private partnership means that Hertz will get some prime location parking spaces. This means there will be spots that sit unused much of the time? 22 spots to be exact.

By: Charlie Parker

Charlie Parker — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 15:36:53 +0000

There’s zero chance that this program will work out well for anybody other than machine politicians that will line their pockets as per SOP in Hoboken/Hudson county.

By: Jason

Jason — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 09:58:31 +0000

I’ve looked at it too, and have trouble finding it cost effective for anyone doing a reasonable amount of driving. (So long as they choose to drive a bomb).

http://thomasthethinkengine.wordpress.com/2010/03/31/zipcar-a-review/
http://thomasthethinkengine.wordpress.com/2009/12/07/flexicar/

There’s something that I resist in their business model: the idea that I will need to make a trade-off for every trip about whether I can justify borrowing a car. My current system is a trade off between cycling, driving and PT which all have negligible marginal costs.

I feel like constantly facing a trade-off cost of about 20 bucks will see me staying at home a lot more where i previously would have driven. Do I trust my future self to not be too frugal to actually enjoy himself?

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 21:54:52 +0000

I agree, the cost of car-sharing programs is still prohibitive. Now, cars are terribly expensive to OWN, for sure, but as rentals the price barrier feels much higher.

By: Bill T.

Bill T. — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 20:45:47 +0000

As someone who lives car-free in the suburbs of Portland, I find these car-sharing programs rather frustrating. If I need to spend the day out of town, it’s inevitably cheaper to rent a car for the entire weekend rather than use one of these car-haring programs. Then again, it’s a shorter walk to the car rental store, too….