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CNT & I-GO greet earthlings at the Adler

June 17th, 2010

Adler-Exterior-Shot

We saw stars when the Adler announced it was bidding on the retired space shuttle Atlantis for a proposed addition to the planetarium. While we’re waiting for that stellar sight, though, we’re more than content to pal up with the Center for Neighborhood Technology tonight at the Adler for a more earthbound event.

Peter Haas, CNT’s Chief Research Scientist, is the featured speaker at the Alder After Dark program tonight, which starts at 6pm at the Adler, 224 S. Michigan Avenue. And I-GO will be there, too, to give a rocket boost to car sharing, offering discount membership signups. Plus, you can sip cocktails, graze on appetizers, and peek through the Doane Observatory telescope, the largest telescope in the Midwest accessible to the public. Admission is $7 for Adler members, $10 for non-members, and if you bike and show your helmet, you get $5 off. Far out, man.

Our office mate, Peter, will give a presentation covering CNT’s work on location efficiency. CNT has long promoted the symbiotic advantage of pairing housing development and public transportation. Its advocacy efforts on a local, state, and national level have led to the creation of such programs as the Housing + Transportation Affordability Index, which measures the true cost of housing based on its location by measuring the transportation costs associated with place, and the Location Efficient Mortgage, which helps people become homeowners in location efficient communities.

Much like energy efficiency, location efficiency can drive how a household uses economic and natural resources in a more or less sustainable manner. Living in a community with access to goods, services, and jobs without dependence on cars uses resources in a more sustainable manner. Peter’s talk will examine how CNT measures location efficiency, its driving mechanisms, and how it can be used to promote more sustainable decisions by national, regional, and household decision makers.

Earth first, folks.


Green mobile medley

June 11th, 2010

We snapped a few pix of yesterday’s alternative transportation fair at Uncommon Ground. I-GO charged into the event with one of our Prius plug-ins, an ultra-efficient ride that gets up to 100mpg. There were lots of other cool sights on hand, too, that give us more hope for a future when energy-efficient, eco-friendly transportation rules the day. For a full description and captions of each photo, click here.


I-GO plugs into alt-transportation fair

June 9th, 2010

uc_trans_fair

One of our fave hangouts in Chicago — Uncommon Ground at 1401 W. Devon Ave. in Rogers Park — is hosting another alternative transportation show this Thursday from 6 to 8pm. It’s part of the uber-green restaurant/bar/music venue’s monthly Green Room Sessions program, which highlight environmentally progressive organizations, goods, and services.

I-GO has been a featured guest at a few of these deals. And they’re all well worth checking out. But we really love the alternative transportation-themed evening, which has become a popular annual highlight of the Green Room Sessions. Most of it takes place in UC’s enclosed parking lot, which is equipped with electrical outlets for plug-in electric vehicles — such as the plug-in Prius we’ll be displaying.

I-GO has two such plug-ins in its fleet: at 201 E. Randolph St. in the Millennium Park north garage and at 900 S. Clark in the AMLI residential development garage. We partnered with ComEd to convert the Priuses, which are equipped with sophisticated lithium-ion battery packs developed by A123 Systems, one of the U.S.’s most exciting, new green tech innovators. Within their electric driving range, these cars are capable of up to 100mpg fuel efficiency, which further helps us reduce the amount of CO2 emissions from our already very low-emissions fleet. And we plan to add more of them to the fleet in the near future.

Besides our plug-in, you can check out a variety of green transportation options at this event, like the all-electric Tesla Roadster sportscar, a Zero electric motorcycle, hybrids, bio-diesel vehicles, veggie oil vehicles, cargo bicycles, electric bicycles, scooters, and lots more. I-GO member Joe Baldwin will be there to talk about his Mobile Garden proposed concept for the CTA, and so will a rep from Carbon Day Automotive, who will display a ChargePoint charging station for EVs.

Uncommon Ground also dishes out some delicious, locally sourced food and drink. (Some of it courtesy of its own huge rooftop kitchen garden.) Enjoy free appetizers featuring the product of a local farmer or producer prepared by Uncommon Ground’s Executive Chef Brian Millman.

We hope to see you there!


I-GO Study Reveals Positive Environmental Impact of Car Sharing

June 1st, 2010

I-GO Car Sharing members reduced CO2 emissions in Chicago by 45,718 metric tons in 2009 and saved $24 million by not buying cars, gas, and insurance.

Those statistics are among the findings in a recently completed environmental impact study conducted by I-GO, a non-profit organization dedicated to reducing car ownership and harmful greenhouse gas emissions through car sharing. The results are based on annual survey research compiled from I-GO’s diverse membership, which is spread across the metropolitan Chicago area and has doubled in the past three years, attracted by dramatically lower costs and environmental benefits of car sharing versus car ownership.

As the BP oil spill proceeds unchecked in the Gulf of Mexico, wreaking environmental and economic devastation, and posing serious questions about the merits of offshore drilling and our thirst for oil at any price, consumers can help offset our dependence on fossil fuels by turning to car sharing.

It’s been estimated that U.S. automobiles and light trucks are responsible for nearly half of all greenhouse gases emitted by automobiles globally, and carbon dioxide emissions from personal vehicles in the United States equaled 314 million metric tons in 2004, according to a 2006 study by the Environmental Defense Fund. That study determined that while Americans own only 30 percent of the 700 million vehicles that are in use worldwide, cars in the U.S. account for a disproportionate amount of greenhouse gas emissions because they are driven farther, have lower fuel economy standards, and burn fuel with higher levels of carbon than many of the cars in other countries.

I-GO’s study indicates that its members effectively removed 9,451 cars from the roads, given that nearly half of its members reported selling or postponing the purchase of a car when they joined. Each I-GO car replaces 15 to 20 privately owned cars. I-GO members also achieved a reduction of approximately 119,558,984 vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in 2009, in comparison to the estimated amount of miles they would have driven had they not enrolled in a car sharing program. And they prevented an estimated 11.5 metric tons of volatile organic compounds (VOC) and 16 metric tons of mono-nitrogen oxides NO and NO2 (Nox) from otherwise polluting the atmosphere.

I-GO members reserve cars by the hour only when they need them, averaging short trips of two to three hours in duration, and drive 97 percent less per year, on average, than typical Chicago car owners. They rely more on public transit, bicycles, and walking as well. And I-GO employs only fuel-efficient, low-emission vehicles in its fleet. Gas-electric hybrid cars comprise approximately 40 percent of I-GO’s fleet, which also includes two plug-in hybrid electric vehicles capable of up to 100 mpg fuel efficiency. I-GO membership can help households reduce typical annual transportation costs of $7,300 by as much as $5,000 a year.


I-GO at Green Fest

May 25th, 2010

We had an amazing time at the Chicago Green Festival this past weekend. It was the fourth annual incarnation of this mammoth fair dedicated to sustainability in all its varied shapes and forms, from serious consumer home products to recycled jewelry to alternative transportation. So much to see and do under one roof at Navy Pier. If you couldn’t make it this year, don’t miss it next time it rolls around. At the I-GO booth, we were once again spreading the green gospel of car sharing, tempting fair-goers with discount membership sign-ups, and entertaining them with a bumper-car game. We took a bunch of photos of the various merchants, orgs, and services on display and posted them on our Flickr photostream.

Here they are in a slideshow version:


I-GO wins Best Car Sharing Company award

May 25th, 2010

mindfulmetro_awards

I-GO recently was named Best Car Sharing Company in Chicago in Mindful Metropolis magazine’s first annual Best of Mindful Chicago Awards. Here’s the complete list of honorees.

Readers of the local magazine — which covers health and wellness, environmentalism, and other great causes near and dear to our green hearts — were asked to vote for people, businesses, organizations, and communities that deserve recognition for “the way they incorporate mindful practices.”

Those practices could include any or all of the following: use of green products, use of sustainable materials, recycling initiatives, holistic healing, fostering of community, kindness, and compassion.

Needless to say, we were honored and grateful for the accolade, given out at the magazine’s Green Carpet Gala, a kickoff party for this past weekend’s Chicago Green Festival, held
Friday, May 21, at the Marmon Grand Ballroom, 2230 South Michigan Ave. Thanks to Mindful Metropolis and to all our members who encourage us to be mindful about sustainable transportation every day.


Save big with I-GO’s Triple Play!

May 24th, 2010

baseball_grass

It’s getting hot in Chicago: Baseball is back. The Blackhawks are in the Stanley Cup final. The beaches are swarming, sweaters have been mothballed, and we’re lovin’ it.

How much are we lovin’ it? Enough to offer you a sizzling deal right off the I-GO BBQ grill: We’re calling it the I-GO Triple Play. Tinkers to Evers to Chance. These savings are going around the horn, baby, and straight into your mitt.

Through Memorial Day — next Monday, May 31 — you can join I-GO for just $25 AND receive $25 in free driving. And if a current I-GO member is listed on your online application form as referring you to I-GO, that member will get $20 in free driving on their account.

All you need to do is enter TRIPLEPLAY and, if applicable, the referring member’s name in the “Promotions” section of the application form. That’s it. We’ll take care of the rest. All you need to worry about is your next destination in a fuel-efficient, affordably priced I-GO vehicle near your home, office, or campus.

It’s a three-for-all, folks. So tell your friends, family, co-workers, and classmates. The more you play this game, the more you win.

The $25 application fee applies to the first year of membership. (Thereafter, it’s also just 25 bucks to renew annually. Yep, still a great bargain.) And new members must use the $25 in free driving within 30 days of joining. But, hey, with Memorial Day weekend coming up, and so many other great things happening in and around Chicago as the weather heats up, why wouldn’t you want to get out there and join the fun?

Join today with the I-GO Triple Play!


Join us at Green Fest this weekend!

May 21st, 2010

greenfest

Just a last-minute reminder to everyone that we’ll be at Green Fest on Navy Pier this weekend. And, yes, we’ll once again be slinging discount memberships for visitors to our booth. But, really, we just want to encourage everyone to check out the fest. This is the fourth annual version of this touring juggernaut, and it keeps getting better and more substantial. It’s a great mix of new consumer products, workshops, artisan crafts, tasty healthy chow, and way more. And at this critical moment in our history, it’s a great crash course in how the public can chip in and make a difference for our environment. Hope to see you there!


Spot an I-GO ad, win free driving!

May 20th, 2010

If you’ve taken a ride on a CTA train or bus lately, or waited on a platform for a Metra train to arrive, we may have bumped into you. I-GO is currently running an ad campaign on public transit. The ad pictured here is one of several variations on the same theme: I-GO is an affordable, convenient, and environmentally conscious alternative to owning a car.

To make things really interesting, we’ve added a contest angle: If you spot an ad, tell us where you saw it and we’ll award $100 in free driving to the member who reports the most sightings on our Facebook page and/or Twitter stream. We’ve already given away one prize, and we’ve got two to go. The second month of the contest ends June 7, so it’s not to late to compete for this sweet prize. Here are the rules:

  1. Our ads are on CTA rail cars and buses and CTA and Metra platforms. When you spot one, take note of the rail line, bus route number, or station.
  2. Into Twitter? Tweet the deets to “igocarsharing” on Twitter.com via your fave Twitter mobile app or PC. Even better: Snap a photo of an ad with your phone and attach it to your tweet. Prefer Facebook? Fan us at www.facebook.com/igocars and post the info on our wall.
  3. If you feel so inclined, use the hash tag “#igocta” in your tweet to chat us up on Twitter.
  4. We’ll announce the first winner on June 7 on our blog, Facebook page, and on Twitter.

Know someone who should be an I-GOer but isn’t yet? Tell ‘em to text us when they spot an ad. The keywords and short codes are on each ad. When someone texts us, we’ll send them a promo code good for a discounted $25 sign-up. And if they name a current I-GO member as a reference on their application, we’ll add $20 in free driving to your account!


I-PASS, you pass, we all pass for I-PASS

May 18th, 2010

illinois_tollway

Headin’ out on the highway and lookin’ for adventure is about to get a whole lot easier for I-GO members.

Beginning June 1st, all I-GO vehicles will be registered with the Illinois Tollway. Here is some important information that every member should be aware of:

  1. No more fines. Once all our vehicles are registered with the tollway they should no longer receive a tollway violation unless there is some sort of error—in which case we will resolve the issue directly with the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority.
  2. Out of sight, man! The I-PASS transponders we use are not the common white box mounted on the interior of the front windshield of a vehicle. For obvious security reasons, we prefer not to divulge the specifics of their installation. But trust us, they’re there, even though you don’t see ‘em.
  3. Sayonara, cash lane. All I-GO vehicles will be able to use the high-speed automatic toll lane as of June 1st. Members will no longer need to use the slower cash lane!
  4. Better billing. All toll trips and costs will be automatically synched with member invoices.
  5. Real-time charges. Transponders will eliminate instances when charges show up on your billing invoice a month later. This lag time in data processing is common with the Tollway Authority’s “V-Tolling” system, in which license plates are scanned by cameras.
  6. Interior info. We will also be removing tollway “pay online” slips from the vehicles, as well as those velcro mounting strips on the windshield previously used for I-PASS transponders. We will be replacing those with decals informing members that the vehicle they are driving is equipped with an I-PASS.
  7. Don’t take it personally. Members will not be able to use their personal I-PASS, but will pay an I-PASS rate. I-GO charges a service fee of $0.10 per toll for processing on top of the toll cost.

While I-GO members will no longer be able to use their own I-PASS, we feel this will be a greater convenience. You’ll avoid the hassle of registering and unregistering your I-PASS with each vehicle on a trip-by-trip basis just to save a few cents. It’s also been common for members to neglect registering their I-PASS, and then accrue violations and charges. And members often forget to remove their personal I-PASS from our cars at the end of their trips.

This method will be more time-efficient for everybody, since the charges will automatically appear on monthly invoices.

We’re psyched about this. And we think our members will be, too. It’s a great, new benefit for I-GO members, and we hope it makes your next trip on the Tollway a breeze.