car2go for Newbies – Arlington’s Newest Carsharing Service

Since car2go rolled out in Arlington a month ago, our office has loved using this new option as another way to get around the County. Whether we’re heading to meetings or running errands, the point to point carsharing service is an affordable and convenient way to get to areas that may not be transit accessible. Since none of the ATP staff drives to work, car2go gives us more mobility and freedom to get around during the work day, in addition to the existing transit and bikeshare options available.

While I was already a car2go member from living in DC, it’s taken a little bit of time for some of my colleagues and our clients to get the hang of the system. We also often hear questions and comments when talking with residents or employees at events and meetings – “You don’t have to pay for parking??” “How do you find out where cars are?” “Those cars are so tiny, are they easy to drive?”
Based on these questions and conversations with potential users, we thought it would be helpful to highlight a few of the car2go resources that make the service easy to figure out and understand.

car2go smartphone app – the car2go app is super handy for when you’re on the go and need to see where the nearest car is located. The app will filter by your location and show all the available vehicles nearby. You can also reserve a car on the app, giving you 30 minutes to get to the location and to start your trip.

car2go instructional videos – car2go created a great channel on vimeo with short how-to videos on the basics of using car2go. Plus, you can enjoy the delightful British accent of the narrator on all the videos.

Below I’ve listed some of our favorites:

• Begin a Trip – it can be pretty stressful getting into an unfamiliar car for the first time, especially if you don’t drive that often! This video will put you at ease and walk you through the steps from unlocking the car to starting the ignition.
• How to Use the Trunk – I would have had literally no idea how to use the trunk of a car2go vehicle if I didn’t see this video. There’s not much space back there, but enough to put grocery bags and or other small items!
• Adjusting the Seats – I don’t know who the giants are that always seem to use car2go before me, but I always have to adjust the seat when I get in, otherwise my feet are about a foot away from the pedals. This is a helpful video for those who might be spoiled with automatic seats in other cars – hooray for manual adjustable seats!

Hope these were helpful for new or potential car2go users! If you haven’t signed up, there are some great promotions going on for Arlington residents and employees.

Let us know if you try car2go here in Arlington. We’d love to hear your thoughts on the new service.