Car share programs save city $1 million+

Chicago officials say car sharing programs have saved the city $1 million a year.

That includes the car rental and leasing programs Zipcar and FlexFleet.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel said in a statement that the programs have also saved the city more than $6 million in vehicles the city didn’t have to purchase.

Since both programs began, the city has reduced its car fleet by 150 vehicles, which equals about $750,000 in savings. Those vehicles were sold at online auction.

The agreement with Zipcar began in 2011. About 300 city employee drivers — roughly 1,000 trips each year — take part in the car sharing program for official business. The city also uses Chicago FlexFleet, which involves sharing city-owned vehicles. There are 95 FlexFleet vehicles being shared by 600 drivers.