WeCar project has good start

By Anne Paine • THE TENNESSEAN • July 4, 2010 WHAT HAPPENED: In April, Nashville got a little greener with the introduction of the WeCar program.www.wecar.com/howDoesItWork.html Four cars were placed around downtown and citizens and businesses were invited to rent them hourly or overnight with prices starting at $8 an hour. The program, run by Enterprise Rent-A-Car, was intended to make downtown living more attractive, giving residents the option of occasional car use as needed. Members make reservations online to use cars, and they have cards that are scanned to unlock the cars and get the keys from the glove compartments. There's a $20 application fee and an annual membership fee of $50. Members must be 21 years old. WHAT NOW: More than 50 members have signed up to share the cars. The program had at least one devoted fan here before kicking off. "I couldn't wait," said Michelle Boucher, who lives downtown and walks three blocks to work at LP Building Products. Boucher, the first to rent a WeCar here, has a membership that allows her to go online and reserve a car for $8-$10 an hour or $40 a day. The program is doing well, said Lisa Martini, a company spokeswoman. She added that an active marketing and awareness program has been under way for just a month because of the flood, so it's particularly remarkable. While it's still early to predict usage patterns, so far on the weekends members are taking the cars for the day, she said. During the week, they rent them for an hour or two, usually for business.