Traffic: The one word that sparks the most the most irate, intense, and annoyed emotions (also known as “road rage”). Some cities have learned how to deal with the incessant problem through the use of metros such as Washington DC, and others, such as Los Angeles, just altogether fail at providing a solution to overpopulated highways. However, the city of Chicago has come up with a new innovative transportation method to keep the highways happy and its people healthy.
The whole idea is pretty straightforward: one card that grants access to the trains, buses, and a local car-sharing program. The Smart Card is Chicago-based nonprofit I-Go Car Sharing’s idea to extend public transportation to include public cars.
According to a recent study, most of the cars that inhabit the windy city sit parked ninety-five percent of the time! This statistic provided the motivation for I-Go CEO Sharon Feigon to promote the Smart card idea. "We have to make better use of our assets," says the CEO. "We want to integrate the public-transit systems and car sharing any way we can, and sharing one card is a good way to demonstrate that these different ideas are linked."
The pilot program started over a year ago with over five thousand Smart Cards and more than two hundred “shared” cars. Now, the idea has flourished and inspired other cities all over America to follow suit in creating new ways to link different forms of public transportation to promote efficiency in addition to being eco-friendly.
What’s next on tap for the home of “Da Bears?” Shareable plug-in hybrids that can power up at kiosks with real-time info on buses and trains. How’s THAT for a game-changer, America? Have YOU helped save the world today?
For more information, visit: www.fastcompany.com
Want to become a Social Firestarter? “Like” us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter @ BrushfireMG
