Business Channel 2007-04-10&12

Last year David Emory ditched his car. Now he relies on mass transit¹ or his own two feet to get around. He works in transportation planning. So it seemed appropriate.

It's nice not to have to, you know, worry about the upkeep of a car. You know, don't worry about parking or the insurance. It's definitely saving you some money now.

The 28-year-old also joined a car-sharing network when he needs to go the distance to the suburbs of Atlanta or shop for something too big to haul on the commuter² rail. Flexcar members sign up online for the car. The Seattle-based company, which launched seven years ago, relies on smart card technology to track trips.

Start reservation system would not allow two people to reserve the same car at the same time. And so if someone walks up to it, it's not gonna open up for them unless they have a reservation on that car. And it's not gonna start for them unless they've made a reservation on that car.

Each vehicle has assigned parking. The device on the windshield reads your card which opens the vehicle and the key is in the glove box. The company takes care of routine maintenance and insurance. With gas, it's all about courtesy. If the tank is low, fill it up for the next driver.

You don't pay for it out of pocket. There is this card, right here.

Up until now, car-sharing programs have really catered³ to niche⁴ crowds. But with more U.S. cities facing major transportation challenges and congestion⁵, car-sharing just may be a viable⁶ option.

I think it's the answer to what I think of as a sort of transportation renaissance⁷.

And it's happening across the country. Flexcar has 40,000 members in nine cities and it's expanding. Like Boston-based competitor Zipcar, if you're a member in one city, you can borrow a set of wheels in another market.

Catherine Ross, a professor at Georgia Tech, specializes in regional development. She is a fan of car-sharing.

It improves air quality, it reduces congestion, it improves green space because now we don't have to accommodate parking. It's great for development. They can have lower parking ratios now. You don't have to provide huge parking for every new development. I just think it's a win-win.

The Atlanta Regional Commission estimates an additional 2.2 million people will move into the Atlanta Metro⁸ area over the next 25 years. So programs like car-sharing could be critical in helping⁹ unclog congestion here and in other cities across America.

Melissa Long, CNN, Atlanta.


ＮＯＴＥＳ：　

１．ditch

transitive verb abandon something or somebody: to abandon something or somebody as no longer wanted, liked, or needed ( slang )

2. niche

a place or position suitable or appropriate for a person or thing: to find one's niche in the business world.

3. renaissance

The act of reviving or condition of being revived

1 transit   

n.经过，运输；vt.穿越，旋转；vi.越过

参考例句：

• His luggage was lost in transit.他的行李在运送中丢失。
• The canal can transit a total of 50 ships daily.这条运河每天能通过50条船。

2 commuter   

n.(尤指市郊之间)乘公交车辆上下班者

参考例句：

• Police cordoned off the road and diverted commuter traffic. 警察封锁了道路并分流交通。
• She accidentally stepped on his foot on a crowded commuter train. 她在拥挤的通勤列车上不小心踩到了他的脚。

3 catered   

提供饮食及服务( cater的过去式和过去分词 )； 满足需要，适合

参考例句：

• We catered for forty but only twenty came. 我们准备了40客饭菜，但只来了20个人。
• They catered for everyone regardless of social rank. 他们为所有人服务而不计较其社会地位。

4 niche   

n.壁龛；合适的职务(环境、位置等)

参考例句：

• Madeleine placed it carefully in the rocky niche. 玛德琳小心翼翼地把它放在岩石壁龛里。
• The really talented among women would always make their own niche.妇女中真正有才能的人总是各得其所。

5 congestion   

n.阻塞，消化不良

参考例句：

• The congestion in the city gets even worse during the summer.夏天城市交通阻塞尤为严重。
• Parking near the school causes severe traffic congestion.在学校附近泊车会引起严重的交通堵塞。

6 viable   

adj.可行的，切实可行的，能活下去的

参考例句：

• The scheme is economically viable.这个计划从经济效益来看是可行的。
• The economy of the country is not viable.这个国家经济是难以维持的。

7 renaissance   

n.复活，复兴，文艺复兴

参考例句：

• The Renaissance was an epoch of unparalleled cultural achievement.文艺复兴是一个文化上取得空前成就的时代。
• The theme of the conference is renaissance Europe.大会的主题是文艺复兴时期的欧洲。

8 metro   

n.地铁；adj.大都市的；(METRO)麦德隆(财富500强公司之一总部所在地德国，主要经营零售)

参考例句：

• Can you reach the park by metro?你可以乘地铁到达那个公园吗？
• The metro flood gate system is a disaster prevention equipment.地铁防淹门系统是一种防灾设备。

9 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。