SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Getaround, the world's leading digital car sharing marketplace, today announced a partnership with the City of Salem, Massachusetts, to increase access to reliable transportation and address, through car sharing, issues related to traffic, pollution, and congestion. Salem is one of over 950 cities worldwide in which Getaround is active. Guests have taken nearly six million car trips using cars shared on Getaround.
Getaround and the City of Salem are working together to add to the city’s efficient and reliable multimodal transportation system that accommodates all users – pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders, and drivers. The new program is making available nine all-wheel drive Ford Escape hybrid vehicles for an affordable community car sharing service via the Getaround platform.
“We’re excited to work with the city to provide an additional mobility option for community members that can have a positive impact on the environment by reducing congestion and improving air quality” said Adrienne Moretz, Government Partnerships Manager, Getaround. “This car share program will serve as a complement to other transportation modes in the city, making alternatives to driving alone an easy choice for all types of trips.”
Getaround and its patented Connect technology will be used to provide contactless 24/7 access to these shared vehicles from designated parking spaces across the city, without the need to wait in line or pick up keys. Residents can reserve the shared vehicles for as little as one hour, perfect for local trips like going to the grocery store or running errands. Getaround is one of the only peer-to-peer car sharing entities to allow guests to book a car on an hourly basis.
Salem Getaround vehicles are located near popular destinations across the city, including the Salem Ferry and Salem Witch Village. Users can locate and reserve the vehicles by downloading the Getaround mobile application on Apple and Android devices.
Getaround and the city of Salem will host a kick off event to formally announce the partnership on Wednesday, May 25, 2022 at 4:00pm. The event will be taking place at the Salem Ferry dock on 10 Blaney Street, Salem, Massachusetts preceding the Welcome Back Salem Ferry 2022 event hosted by the Salem Chamber of Commerce.
“Expanding Getaround’s services into the City of Salem is a major milestone for the company and for our vision of making cities and communities better places to live, by empowering people with convenient access to the cars they need, when they need them,” said Nick Tenekedes, VP of Marketplace, Getaround. “We look forward to partnering with the city and helping them achieve their mission to provide affordable and equitable transportation for all.”
The City of Salem offers a growing menu of safe and accessible options for people to move around the city in whatever mode of transportation they choose. These services include the Bluebikes bike share, the Salem Skipper, MBTA bus and commuter rail service, free rides for Salem residents on the Salem Trolley in season, Salem Ferry service to and from Boston, and, now, the Getaround community car share.
“Salem has been on the forefront of innovating and piloting new ways to reduce the number of private passenger vehicles on our roads,” said Salem Mayor, Kim Driscoll. “This helps us to address traffic congestion and also to lessen our community’s carbon footprint and our contributions to the climate crisis. The Getaround car share program will offer another tool to allow Salem residents to live in our city car-free or car-light.”
Privately owned cars are typically parked 95% of the time and on the move only 6 hours per week. The remaining 162 hours of the week, most cars remained parked and idle. Peer-to-peer car sharing means fewer cars on the road and, on average, one car sharing vehicle replaces 9 to 13 vehicles. Thanks to car sharing, users are selling their vehicles or postponing the purchase of one and shifting away from the concept of car ownership. This ultimately results in fewer accidents, reduced traffic and pollution, and less space needed for parking. Beyond that, research has shown that peer-to-peer car sharing services, like Getaround, can significantly reduce the emissions of greenhouse gasses (GHG) and harmful substances into the environment.
For more information, please visit: https://www.getaround.com/locations-city/salem-massachusetts-car-sharing.
About Getaround:
Getaround connects safe, convenient and affordable cars with people who need them to live and work. We are the world's first 100% digital car sharing marketplace with proprietary technology and data that make sharing vehicles superior to owning them. Our community includes guests who rely on our cars for on-demand mobility, 24/7 and hosts who share cars on our platform including those who operate their own car sharing businesses. Founded in 2009, today Getaround is active in over 950 cities worldwide. For more information, please visit Getaround.com, or download our iPhone or Android app.
About the City of Salem:
Salem, founded in 1629, is an approximately 8 square mile coastal community of around 45,000 residents, vibrant businesses and downtown, and large regional partners like Salem State University, Salem Hospital, and the Peabody Essex Museum. Salem is home to many historical and cultural destinations, restaurants, shops, and walkable neighborhoods. The City is known for its rich maritime history, for being the birthplace of the National Guard, and for the infamous Witchcraft Trials of 1692.
