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"This April, Amanda Burden and our  Department of City Planning  unveiled a plan to promote car sharing throughout the five boroughs, and today's City Council vote puts it into action. When the rules that govern the City's private garages and lots were written five decades ago, no one contemplated the idea of car sharing, but today it's a growing industry in New York. It lets people have access to cars while avoiding the costs of insurance, maintenance and parking fees that go along with owning one. And because it allows 40 or 50 people to 'share' a car instead of one or two, it means less traffic on our streets and in our neighborhoods and less pollution in our air. By specifying what percentage of parking spaces may be devoted to shared cars based on neighborhood density and uses, the changes will allow companies to put car share vehicles where New Yorkers will use them. We are also implementing pilot programs that create car sharing for City-owned vehicles to see if we can further reduce the number of vehicles City government puts on the road. One of our goals of PlaNYC is to improve New Yorkers' ability to get around while reducing air pollution and carbon emissions, and promoting car sharing is the latest example of how we're doing it."

Statement of City Planning Commissioner Amanda M. Burden:

"As part of our growing commitment to provide cleaner air and affordable transportation options to New Yorkers, we are delighted to see this zoning change adopted, which will bring the benefits of car sharing to communities throughout the city. By facilitating this efficient and affordable transportation alternative, we expect to give families more choice in transportation, increase New Yorkers' mobility, reduce neighborhood parking woes and traffic congestion and ensure quieter streets and an improved quality of life, consistent with Mayor Bloomberg's PlaNYC goals."