They Could Car Less

Seattle is finding sweet success with an experimental program that encourages couples to give up their extra vehicle. After a recent nine-week pilot program, six of 23 couples were thinking of selling their extra car, two were trying to sell it, and two had already sold it. The couples were paid $25 for the first three weeks of the program, during which they continued to use their extra car and keep a travel diary. They agreed not to use their extra car during the final six weeks, for which they were paid $85 a week, the national average cost of owning and operating a second car. The couples spent $21 a week to get around without the extra car.