Motorists soon will be able to share not just the road but also the cost of a car with other drivers.
On Tuesday, the Salt Lake City Council approved an ordinance that paves the way for U Car Share to bring vehicle-sharing to Utah's capital.
The program -- popular in other transit-savvy cities such as Portland, Ore., Philadelphia and Pittsburgh -- allows participants to rent cars as needed, sometimes for as short as an hour and often to get to transit lines or to carry cargo too big for a bicycle.
Salt Lake City had to amend city code to allow U Car Share, a subsidiary of Phoenix-based U-Haul, to park its autos in public slots.
The company is expected to arrive in the city within the next three months. In the first year, it plans to place 12 to 20 cars in the city and an additional four cars at both the University of Utah and Utah Transit Authority train stops (three at the Salt Lake Central Station and one at the Ballpark TRAX station).
Members will pay a one-time, $50 registration fee and hourly rates, averaging $8 to $12 per hour. The cost includes gas and insurance.
"I'm very excited that we're moving forward," City Councilman Soren Simonsen said. "We have a program that will add to transportation services in our city for those who cannot afford or choose not to own a vehicle."
The Salt Lake City Council agreed to allow UNEV Pipeline LLC to build a pipeline across 2,300 feet of protected open space near the Salt Lake City International Airport. The 400-mile pipeline will funnel petroleum products from Woods Cross-area refineries to Cedar City and Las Vegas, taking 12,700 trucks off Interstate 15.
