Calgarians are really embracing the world of car sharing, so much so that the city has just been announced as the fastest growing car sharing market in the world.
According to Metro Calgary, more than 15,000 Calgarians signed up with the car2go service in the first 60 days and more than 40,000 trips have been taken.
“As thousands of residents of Calgary embrace carsharing with car2go, they are setting an outstanding example of intelligent urban mobility for the rest of their city, and for other cities around the world,” said Nicholas Cole, president and CEO of car2go Canada Ltd., in a release.
This growth means that Calgary will double its fleet of car2go vehicles. There are currently 150 blue and white cars on the road, but streets will see more than 300 in months to come. There is also a plan to expand the "home area' to 93 square kilometers.
GALLERY: WHAT TWITTER HAS TO SAY ABOUT CAR2GO
The Calgary Herald spoke with Debi Andrus, assistant professor of marketing at the University of Calgary, as she told the Herald that car2go is successful in Calgary is because "it's just a cool idea."
“And it’s smart cars. People like to drive it,” said Andrus. “The other issue is what cities would they fit and I think Calgary would be a good fit because there’s convenience and it’s tied to technology. That combination of the convenience and saving money and the technology that’s used makes it really an interesting alternative to taxis or having your own car.”
Car2go members pay a one time fee of $35 to purchase a membership. They can then look up cars online or on a smartphone app and make a reservation for a car in their area. Members only pay for the time they use the car, typically by the minute, but can also make reservations for hourly and daily use. When they are finished with the car, they can leave it in any public parking space, free of charge.
Bryan Romanesky, an urban planner, told CBC Calgary that car sharing is popular because it is so easy - no paperwork and no charge for gas or parking.
What do Calgarians have to say about car2go? Check out some of their tweets in our gallery.
TWITTER REACTION