Survey Reveals Future of Car-centered City

As Zipcar, the world's largest car sharing service, celebrates its seventh anniversary, it conducted a survey on what car-centered city life will be seven years from now.

Questions were asked to the respondents in North America to come up with conclusions on what will happen seven years from now in a city which is car dependent. Examples if the queries were: How many minutes does it take for you to get yourself in the office from your house? Will gas prices keep rising? How long does it take to find city street parking? If you live in the city now, will you still be here in 2014?

In May 2000, Zipcar altered city life by giving the urban people a new option to car ownership. As a matter of fact, the car servicing organization conducted a survey among its members to measure how urban residents throughout North America believe urban living could or should change in the next seven years.

Zipcar CEO Scott Griffith said the I-Pod had not been unleashed and My Space was still so utopian seven years ago; but because of high technology innovations, the lives of the people quickly and tremendously changed. He further said population in the urban areas continues to grow; and because of the states’ focus on sustainable development, it is also implied that city residents will consider positive changes for the urban areas to grow directionally proportional to the positive side.

The survey revealed that 4o percent of the city residents want to stay. Almost half of the respondents said the most attractive aspect of city life is that there is a wide array of avenues for different things, say entertainment, sports and leisure. It was also found out that 33 is the average age of the respondents.

Majority or 61 percent responded they think the price of gas will be at least $5.00 per gallon in seven years; while 25 percent believes prices will be more than $6.00.

As to the cars’ parking area, 50 percent of the respondents anticipate that they will spend 20 minutes or more just to find for a parking space in 2014, while 16 percent said they spend that much time doing so today.

Meanwhile, almost one-third of the respondents answered they want the congestion charge to be implemented. This, they believe is the number one policy decision that would greatly improve life in the car-centered city.

The survey further showed that only about 16% of Washington DC residents think that the Washington Nationals will win a World Series and a potential Skyscraper in DC is likely to happen during the next seven years. An almost huge part or one third of Boston residents expect that the Charles River will be clean and safe to swim in by 2014. It also showed that 90% of the residents in Chicago believe the Cubs will be in Wrigley field for at least the next seven years.

Griffith also said living in the city has several benefits. Examples of these are following the favorite sports team or actors and actresses, and going to the amazing theaters or restaurants.

He also added that from the start of Zipcar’s existence, they witnessed how cities changed, improved, prospered and developed. Their survey revealed that continuously improving cities will further experience progress with a dedicated and persevering population that is unswerving to the inevitable improvement of urban lifestyle.

On its seventh anniversary, Zipcar is glad to announce that it already has 100,000 members in three countries and 23 cities.

Meanwhile, luxury car like the Mercedes, which has quality Mercedes performance part, also has a huge role in the life style of the urban people. The number of luxury car sold is an example of a determinant as to an areas’ progress because it adds to the revenues of a given community.