Editor,
In regards to “Car Sharing Likely to Expand this Year” (February), I’d like to see reporting on how much business The Good Life and All States have lost in the past three years. What is the decrease in the number of customers in their doors between 2013 and today? What is the percent decrease in revenue from before the car share spaces were put in place and today? What other metric has been negatively affected between the good old days of 2013 to the “worst thing that’s happened” of today? Also: hyperbole much?
With regards to the double parking, how much have accidents increased in this corridor that can be attributed to car shares being parked here? Where are the interviews of people who used to shop on 20th, now can’t find parking and shop elsewhere? Where are they going instead?
There are other businesses in this corridor; how has this affected Little LYNC preschool, the real estate office, Thinker’s Cafe, the hair and nail salons, BerryClean, and others I may have forgotten?
These were valid concerns in 2013, when these spaces were installed, but it’s been three years. Show me proof that the 20th street corridor has been devastated by hosting two car share spaces. Something I do agree with: it’d be good to explore other nearby streets, but still within a block of 20th and Connecticut.
I use the Zip Cars on 20th street regularly, along with Muni, Lyft, walking and my personal car to get around. In my opinion, it’d be a net loss to the neighborhood if car shares disappear from Potrero Hill because of a few loud voices.
Janice Tam
18th Street
Editor,
I noticed that in “Car Sharing Likely to Expand this Year”, published last month, that the author misspelled the name of University of California, Berkeley researcher Susan Shaheen. She is referred to as “Susan Sheehan” throughout the article.
Jessica Lazarus
Research Associate, Transportation Sustainability Research Center, UCB
