The Intersection of Long-Term Airport Parking and Car Sharing

• July 31, 2013

by Shilpi Paul

As the car sharing ethos spreads throughout various communities, it seemed inevitable that it would reach a place that is both a transit hub and a giant parking lot: the airport.

RelayRides, the San Francisco-based start-up that coordinates between car owners and those who need access, is trying out a new venture, reports the Wall Street Journal.

Starting on August 9th, RelayRides will be giving folks flying out the the San Francisco International Airport (SFO) the option of leaving their cars in a special lot, for free. The catch is that interested renters will then be able to rent out those cars during the duration of the owners’ trips. When the owners return, the car will be washed and have a full gas tank.

For those who believe in car sharing, the set-up makes sense: airports are full of car rental outfits, while thousands of cars sit unused in long-term parking lots. Combining the two, at least to some degree, seems efficient. The rental rates will be set at about 40 percent of the cost of a standard rental car, and car owners will be liberated from the typical $18 per day fee that the SFO parking lot charges.

Currently, RelayRide users can already choose an airport as their “pick-up” destination when sharing their car. The new venture adds a dedicated parking lot, an attendant, security, and shuttle rides between the terminals and lot.

If the trial works well, RelayRides hopes to expand to other airports. Readers, do you think something like this could work at Dulles or Reagan National?

This article originally published at http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/relayrides_to_combine_long_term_airport_parking_with_car_sharing/7397