Syracuse (WSYR-TV) - Gas prices are on the rise and show no signs of slowing down. To fight the trend, nearly 100 people in the City of Syracuse are participating in a car-sharing program.
Even if you don't participate, you've probably seen their cars cruising throughout Central New York.
CuseCar is nearly two years old and getting more interest every time the price of gas goes up.
Lauren DeGilormo became a member more than a year ago. "Basically, I can take a car anytime," she said. "It's nice to go run errands, go to a mall for a shopping trip, take care of grocery shopping."
For an 18-month membership fee, and $5.95 per hour of use, Lauren can go up to 60 miles. There's no gas, maintenance or insurance to worry about. When she's finished, there's no parking to pay, like other people who work downtown.
A quick wave of a key fob over a sensor near the inspection sticker unlocks the car. Inside, the key is in the glove box and the car is ready to go.
"The nice thing is you can extend a reservation. So, again, I'll just go on my phone, extend the reservation. They're usually pretty good, and I'm conscientious of other reservations," DeGilormo said.
Of course, CuseCar isn't for everyone. The program is described as an extension of the existing transportation system, for people who live in the City.
"Our cars are located around bus routes. You get on the bus to come downtown. You hop in a CuseCar to go to the grocery store, grab all your groceries, put it in the CuseCar, go home and empty all your groceries. Then, return the car to the spot you got it from, then hop on the bus and head back home," explained CuseCar's Sarah Stephens.
They've just added a sixth vehicle to the CuseCar fleet, and are already looking to add a seventh. This time, they're considering a pickup truck or crossover to give people more flexibility.
Depending on how members plan to use the service, CuseCar has four different membership plans. So far, 100 people have signed up but Stephens says they've gotten several new inquiries as gas prices have risen.
