I had the incredible opportunity to be part of Climatebase Fellowship Cohort 4, and I’m excited to share my journey with you. Over the past few months, I’ve learned so much about climate tech, entrepreneurship, and the power of community-based solutions. The Fellowship not only deepened my understanding of how we can tackle the climate crisis through innovative technologies but also gave me the opportunity to pursue a project that I’m passionate about: Down the Block Carshare.

The Problem: Carshare Isn’t Working for the Average Household

For a long time, I’ve been thinking about how cities are designed for cars, and how difficult it is for the average person to find affordable, flexible transportation options. Carshare programs like Zipcar or Turo offer a solution, but they tend to be more convenient for people who already live in car-centric areas. What about households in neighborhoods where a personal car is still necessary, even though it’s used less often?

What if we could bring carshare directly into local communities and prep neighborhoods for the future of green, walkable cities?

I pitched this idea to my fellow Fellows: Down the Block Carshare, a local-first carshare model designed to give people access to cars on their own block, reduce the number of cars on the road, and save money by cutting down on unnecessary car ownership. By reducing fleet size, we could save money that could go directly into purchasing electric vehicles (EVs) and e-bikes, creating a greener, more sustainable transportation system for everyone.

After I pitched the Down the Block Carshare idea to my fellow Fellows, I was blown away by the response. People were really engaged and eager to support the concept. In fact, the feedback I received was so positive that it quickly turned into something tangible. I ended up collaborating with two talented Fellows, Chad Bustard and Carsten Röskes, who shared the vision and helped me turn this idea into a real project.

With their help, we set out to test the idea by speaking directly to the people who would be most impacted: our local community.

Vetting Carshare Viability in Madison

While Chad and Carsten worked on geospatial and financial models, I kicked off by conducting 10 in-person interviews with people in our target neighborhood, the Tenney-Lapham area. The feedback was invaluable. People loved the idea of local carshare options but had concerns about costs, access to vehicles, and reliability. From there, we put together an online survey that received 68 responses from local residents. The survey results were even more encouraging: over 20 people were interested in signing up to learn more if and when the carshare launched!

This research gave us a clearer picture of what people actually want in a carshare program and how we could make it work in our specific neighborhood.

“Scrolly-Telling” Why Carshare

One of the coolest parts of this project was building an interactive web app to showcase our idea and spread the word. We wanted to make the information engaging and easy to understand, so we created a “scrolly-telling” experience that breaks down the benefits of carshare in a fun, interactive way. It covered a cost-comparison of owning a car vs carshare, and included the responses from our survey.

And Chad also included a very cool app that allowed a direct cost comparison between Zipcar and our carshare’s pricing model for various locations around Madison, WI.

You can check it out here: Why Isthmus Carshare.

Final Project Summary: From Research to Realization

As part of the Fellowship, we gave a final project presentation where we shared our survey results, the web app, and the financial model we worked out for the carshare initiative. This presentation was a culmination of months of research, design, and collaboration. We were able to show how our carshare could realistically be implemented and make a meaningful impact in the local community.

What’s Next?

After the presentation, we realized that this project had a lot of potential, and it’s too important to let go. So, we’ve decided to keep pursuing Down the Block Carshare. We’re taking the next step by forming a steering committee to explore its viability further. We’ll be working to refine the business model, secure funding, and make sure we have a sustainable, community-centered carshare program in place for the long term.

I’m so grateful for everything I learned during the Climatebase Fellowship and for the amazing teammates who made this project possible. The experience was invaluable, and I can’t wait to see where Down the Block Carshare goes next!

If you’re in the Madison area and want to learn more or get involved, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re excited to see how we can transform our city’s transportation system together.