Car2go

If I had to choose the worst things about downtown Austin I would have to say parking. I am sure I am not the only one who detests downtown parking and resort to other modes of transportation to get by, including riding the bus and carpooling. While looking for parking the other day I noticed a line of very small blue and white cars lined along the curb. In the corners of the each car read CAR2GO. I have slowly recognized the appearance of these little vehicles all around downtown, being driven and parked. I have even heard talk about the convenience of renting a car2go  so I did some research and found this phenomenally “Austin” program. 

Car2go in front of Texas capital

Car2go is a revolutionary program that allows an urban area to become mobilized by allowing members to use vehicles conveniently located in downtown areas to drive to next destination and park the car in any public parking location. The program was launched in May of this year and four months after the launching over 10,000 people were reported to have registered.

"Car2go's convenience and ease of use has been received with incredible enthusiasm by Austinites and this growth has exceeded our initial expectations," said Nicholas Cole, president and CEO of car2go North America. "Reaching 10,000 members so rapidly in Austin is just the beginning of car2go's success in North America. In 2011, we will continue to expand to other North American cities where there is a demand for innovative and forward-thinking transportation solutions."

The idea is simple, you register online to become a member with the only requirement of a valid driver’s license and pay a registration fee of $35. After you register you receive a membership card that is used to access the car2go and you are then charged usage fees for the time you use the car. The usage fees are reasonably priced at .35 cents a minutes or a maximum of $12.99 an hour and a maximum $65.99 a day plus tax. The fee covers fuel, parking, maintenance, cleaning and all other services.

Car2go has received the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2010 Clean Air Excellence Award for the innovative approach to reduce carbon emission.

Austin is the first city in North America to adapt the program. The first program was launched in Ulm, Germany in early 2009. This program continues to do well in Austin because it mirrors the values of the city. As Austin continues to progress, one thing is certain that the future looks pretty green.

car2go picture courtesy of globalgiant.com

Wal-Mart in the neighborhoods of the weird city

 Thursday Oct. 27 a new Wal-Mart opened its doors in Northwest Austin. While this might not seem like news, the location was a controversial issue for many Austenites who felt that the mega-corporation had no place in the neighborhoods of Austin. 

Activist for a Responsible Growth for Northcross (RG4N) had many concerns with a Wal-Mart in the center of a residential area including traffic, local business losing sales, crime rates increasing and potential litter issues. They have been protesting the plans since 2006 and after court battles and lawsuits there was a compromise.

The original plans included a 24-hour supercenter that would be two story 200,000 sq. ft. building and include a three story parking garage. The compromise was a single story 98,000 sq. ft. building over half the original size and the store is closed from 1 a.m to 5 a.m. Creators of the store called the downsized store the “Neighborhood Market by Wal-Mart.” Wal-Mart also has been taking steps to refresh its stores and the new Northcross store was built with environmentally friendly features and created 250 jobs. The new Wal-mart also does not have a warehouse for inventory, as trucks come in with the products they are directly put on the shelves.

Comments on KXAN website express both side of the issue, some people feel that Wal-Mart will decrease property value due to increase crime rate while other believe that it will increase property value due to convienence. Read more comments at the following link.

http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/business/northcross-walmart-opens

As a student with a college budget I was very excited about the opening of the new store. The store was a 5 min drive from my home and as I walked into the new Wal-Mart and was greeted by an employee in the familiar blue and a smile I was ready to shop. The first thing I noticed as I walked in was the size, much much smaller than most Wal-Marts. When I started shopping I was disappointed by the lack of choices. The cereal aisle was one-fourth of common Wal-Mart stores cereal aisles. The more I shopped the more I found my self being disappointed and hoping I had gone to HEB for my groceries. In the end the experience was less than satisfactory and I am left thinking what a two story Wal-mart would have been like. I guess it just wasn’t meant for Austin.

If you have checked out the new Wal-Mart tell me what you thought and if you haven’t do you think the compromise was fair?

Original Plan-Wal-Mart Picture 

Actual Northcross Wal-Mart