Baby, You Can Share My Car

Traffic.

Air Pollution.

Spending Money on Cars.

These are a few of our least favorite things. At least according to Austin CarShare.

The small non-profit organization that we told you was coming has proposed a new program that would allow residents to share four cars to help cut down on all there of the troubles mentioned above. The City Council is expected to pass a measure today to help Austin CarShare, which does not own any vehicles yet, to get its program up and running. The the resolution would "allocate four permanent parking spots around town for the company and make the vehicles exempt from meter charges in other parts of the city," according to a report in the Statesman.

We haven't quite sussed all of the details but the report says that the car sharing plan would allow members to "reserve a car by phone, pick it up from one of the permanent spots and return it when the reservation is over." Additionally, "Austin CarShare charges a $25 application fee and a $10 per month membership fee, which includes the costs of insurance, maintenance, roadside assistance and fuel."

"For individuals who don't have a car, who don't necessarily need to own a car, or for a family with one car, maybe there's a need to go to a doctor's appointment or an appointment in the city, and they want a car," said Beverly Robbins, an aide to Council Member Sheryl Cole.

In order to use one of the cars, members would walk, bike or take public transportation to the designated location. As for how one would start the car, we're not so sure. The Clapper?

The program is already in place in 20 American cities. What do you think? Could it work? Would you take part?