JULY 2009

New car locations

  • Edgewater 5440 N. Sheridan Rd.: Toyota Scion xB, Vehicle ID# 4592
  • Logan Square 2293 N. Milwaukee Ave.: Honda Civic, Vehicle ID# 4527
  • Pilsen 826 15th Pl.: Honda Element, Vehicle ID# 4469

Bound for the ’burbs: We’ve kicked off the first phase of a suburban expansion that will ultimately include close to 50 cars added to the fleet at carefully managed intervals over the next several months. In July, we’ll be adding two low-emission cars at each of the following locations:

Evanston South Blvd. and Hinman
Oak Park Euclid and Harrison

We’ll be adding more cars in Evanston and Oak Park throughout July and August. And we’re also looking to add several cars in city neighborhoods this summer. For updates, stay tuned to this newsletter, our blog Motormouth, Facebook page, and Twitter feed.

Lean, green, cleaning machine

tanya_killian_scionxb_web

Lately, you may have noticed a new item in our cars: a small card in the upper-left corner of the windshield that records the most recent cleaning date for the vehicle. Our cars get a thorough interior/exterior detailing and wash and wax every two weeks. Along with our members’ helpful assistance (wink, wink, nudge, nudge), the cleaning crew behind the scenes is working small miracles every day.

That crew is headed by a remarkable entrepreneur, Tanya Killian, whose company, WashMe-EnviGreen, puts a novel green twist on car washing. Each car gets the full treatment with less than a quart of water, reusable microfiber towels, and 100% biodegradable, no-foam products (made in Colorado) that meet stringent EPA standards and result in no runoff or waste water. Hybrids and alternatively fueled vehicles receive discounts on all her services.

Killian, whose client roster includes high-rise residential towers in Chicago, also provides green housekeeping and boat-cleaning services. She’s opening a green car wash at 146 W. Erie on July 4 that will be open to the general public on weekends.

She launched her company in late 2007, started with a quarter of the I-GO fleet last fall, and—after impressing our fleet manager with her dedication and exacting standards—assumed cleaning duties for our entire fleet this past April. Killian started with two part-time employees; now she’s got 18. Seems this former financial analyst—who’s certified with women- and minority-business orgs and too many environmental orgs to count—is starting to clean up big-time.

“I was sitting in a car wash one day, seeing how filthy the process was, and I said to myself, ‘This could be better,’” says Killian of her initial inspiration. “I went online, checked it out, and there was nothing around like this. No eco-friendly car wash or cleaning service. So I came up with some stuff.”

We’re glad she did. And we hope you are, too, the next time you climb into an I-GO car that’s been green-washed by Tanya and her crew.

Road trip minus the rental

roadtrip_car

Planning a trip to any of the following seven cities? Consider a car-sharing membership in one of the independent, non-profit organizations serving them. I-GO works closely with these sister services, and we can help you bypass the membership sign-up fees by putting you in contact with their representatives. (We reciprocate by offering the same bargain to any of their members visiting Chicago.) Just contact Anjuli Seth at least one week prior to your trip, and we’ll help coordinate the details with our car-sharing partners.

Community Car, Madison, Wisconsin
www.communitycar.com/

CityWheels, Cleveland
www.citywheelscleveland.com/

HourCar, Minneapolis-St. Paul
www.hourcar.org/

PhillyCarShare, Philadelphia
www.phillycarshare.org/

CityCarShare, San Francisco
www.citycarshare.org/

AutoShare, Toronto, Ontario
www.autoshare.com/

Cooperative Auto Network, Vancouver, British Columbia
www.cooperativeauto.net/

Upcoming events

July

Evanston Fourth of July Parade
Saturday, July 4, 2:30pm-4pm
Central Street & Central Park Ave to Central Street & Ashland Avenue
I-GO is celebrating the 4th of July in Evanston at their 88th annual parade. And why not? We’re busy adding new cars in Evanston over the next few weeks to kick off our suburban expansion program. This much anticipated parade attracts around 10,000 spectators every year.

folkandroots_fest
Chicago Folk and Roots Festival
Saturday & Sunday, July 11 & 12th, noon-10pm
Welles Park – 4400 N. Lincoln
It’s that time of year again for the wildly popular Folk and Roots Festival. As always, the festival will feature a main stage packed with the finest international and local artists, a Dance Tent and even a Kids Tent! This is our volunteers’ favorite festival, so if you’d like to help out, give Lauren Hugel a shout at lauren@igocars.org ASAP!

UIC’s ‘Healthy Living in the City’
Friday, July 17, 11am-4pm
University of Illinois at Chicago’s Medical District – Polk & Wood
Professors at UIC’s College of Pharmacy are encouraging Chicagoans to get out of their office cubicles and into the garden at the third annual Garden Walk. “Healthy Living in the City” is the theme for the 2009 Garden Walk, which reflects the importance of making a connection between personal health and wellness with a concern for the health of our environment. The event is free to the public and includes live music, free plants (to the first 200 participants), garden tips for urban gardeners as well as free health screenings and health care product samples. Head to the urban medicinal garden in the heart of the Medical District and say “hey” to us while you’re there!

Ultimate Chicago Sandblast
Saturday & Sunday, July 18 & 19, 11am-2pm
Montrose Beach
Chicago Sandblast is a 5-on-5 co-ed beach Ultimate Frisbee tournament that brings together more than 700 registered participants from around the world. This three-day event will feature two parties, two great days of ultimate fun in the sun, food, beverages, and prizes galore.

Wicker Park Fest
Saturday & Sunday, July 25 & 26, noon-10pm
Damen Avenue – between North Avenue & Schiller
Historic, yet hip and cutting-edge, Chicago’s Wicker Park and Bucktown neighborhoods offer a variety of lifestyle options: distinctive art, acclaimed restaurants, and a trendy music scene to name just a few. The annual Wicker Park Fest is a reflection of the eclectic scene, showcasing the extraordinary area for a sixth year. I-GO will be there rocking along with the fellow locals. If you’d like to help maintain the (legitimate) hype for I-GO, shoot Lauren an e-mail at lauren@igocars.org.

Taste of Lincoln Avenue
Saturday & Sunday, July 25 & 26, noon-10pm
North Lincoln Avenue, between Fullerton & Wrightwood
What began with crowds of 10,000 attendees has now grown to more than 50,000 attendees at this 2-day event. The event includes food and craft vendors, five entertainment stages (that’s right, I said five entertainment stages), and a great kids’ carnival area. (What is cuter than kids AND animals??) I-GO will be there in full force and is looking for some volunteer help to help sustain the I-GO team. If interested in keeping the party going, let Lauren know at lauren@igocars.org.

New business members

I-GO offers three great plans for business members: GO Business Basic, GO Business Economy, and GO Business Green. For more details on each plan’s advantages, fees, and rates, and how I-GO can save your business big bucks, contact Richard Kosmacher for a business application today.

We appreciate the support of our four newest business members and encourage you to check them out for yourselves:

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