I-GO CarSharing, Chicago’s only not-for-profit carsharing organization, is celebrating its tenth year of providing carsharing services and implementing innovative new transportation initiatives in the Chicago area. It’s holding a panel discussion about the future of multimodal transportation in the Chicago region and beyond featuring Commissioner Gabe Klein of the Chicago Department of Transportation, Timothy Papandreou, the deputy director of the Sustainable Streets Division of San Francisco’s Municipal Transit Agency and I-GO’s own Sharon Feigon.
This discussion will be held on Wednesday, July 11th from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Union League Club of Chicago at 65 W. Jackson Blvd. in Chicago. There is a charge, but lunch will be served. More information and registration is available at http://igo10.eventbrite.com/.
About I-GO CarSharing
Formed in 2002, I-GO has 15,000 members and close to 300 vehicles in 35 neighborhoods in Chicago and four suburbs throughout the Chicago region. Members pay for cars by the hour (around $8.50), and gas is included in the hourly fee (as is insurance). A typical I-GO member spends about $2,520 per year on transportation, roughly $5,000 less than what the average American spends annually to own, operate and maintain a car.
I-GO offers the Chicago Card Plus I-GO card with the CTA. It allows a seamless transfer between public transit and an I-GO vehicle. The Chicago Card Plus I-GO card is the only one of its kind in the nation. Seventy-three percent of I-GO members either sell a car or postpone a decision to buy one after joining I-GO.
By serving its mission to live well in Chicago without having to own a car, I-GO saves its members money, helps reduce traffic congestion, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, improves air quality and promotes healthy lifestyles and communities. To join I-GO, visit igocars.org.
“We’re thrilled to be starting our tenth year by bringing Gabe and Timothy together and exploring how we can create more vibrant and livable communities through innovative transportation programs,” said Sharon Feigon, CEO of I-GO CarSharing. “We’re looking forward to continuing to pioneer better transportation and sustainability options over the next ten years and this event is a great way to start the conversations that will make that happen.”
I-GO introduced carsharing to Chicago in 2002, and beginning in 2009 I-GO partnered with the Chicago Transit Authority to create the nation’s first joint smart card between a public transit agency and a carsharing service. The Chicago Card Plus I-GO card enables I-GO members to seamlessly access CTA trains and buses, Pace buses and every vehicle in I-GO’s fleet. Earlier this year, I-GO also became the first carsharing organization in the region to bring all-electric vehiclesto its fleet.
Gabe Klein has been the Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) since May 2011. Under Klein, CDOT is a customer-focused agency that is a national leader in technology, multi-modal innovation and sustainable design that consistently makes a positive impact on the quality of life for Chicago’s 2.6 million residents. Klein has previously worked in a number of leadership roles in transportation, technology, consumer services and consulting. Prior to Mayor Emanuel’s administration, he was Director of the Washington D.C. Department of Transportation. Klein grew up in the cycling industry, and avidly rode and has worked in cycling-related ventures since childhood.
Timothy Papandreou is currently Deputy Director of Sustainable Streets – Strategic Planning & Policy for the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA). He has worked for public and private agencies in the transportation and land-use planning field for over 15 years both in the US and Australia. The SFMTA is responsible for managing the modes of transportation (including parking and street enforcement) in the City. Timothy oversees a team of 30 staff to develop and implement the agency’s economically competitive, sustainable mobility goals through integrated, multi-modal (bicycle, walking, transit, carsharing, parking and taxi) transportation plans, street design projects and policies and programs to reduce private auto trips. As a sustainable mobility expert, Timothy represents the agency on several bodies including the California Transit Association, National Association of City Transportation Officials, American Public Transportation Association, and Transportation Research Board, the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation and several international city and transport organizations.
Sharon Feigon is the CEO of I-GO CarSharing, an affiliate organization of the Center for Neighborhood Technology. Since taking the helm seven years ago, she has more than quadrupled the size of this innovative company and brought in many new partnerships and resources. Feigon is a leader and founder of the CarSharing Association, an international member organization committed to providing sustainable, transit-oriented urban mobility for the benefit of the communities that the members serve. She also serves as Co-Chair of the Shared Vehicle Committee of the Transportation Research Board, and, in 2011, was appointed by Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn to serve on the Electric Vehicle Advisory Council overseen by the Illinois Energy Office, Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Feigon is a member of the Congress for New Urbanism and has served on the Evanston Plan Commission and was Chair of that Commission’s Transportation Committee. She was a member of the Citizen Advisory Board for the Pace Bus System North Shore Study, as well as of the US Green Building Council’s LEED ND Committee, which developed LEED standards for neighborhood developments.
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