The Office of the First District Supervisor of San Bernardino County, the San Bernardino County Court System and Victor Valley Transit Authority have partnered with Enterprise Rideshare to create the Needles Carshare Program. Starting Monday, August 8, registered members will have access to a vehicle for as short a time frame as one hour and for as little as five dollars per hour. For residents of Needles who struggle to find transportation for routine errands such as shopping, picking up a prescription or getting to an appointment, this is the simple, affordable, convenient answer they’ve been hoping for.
“I believe this program is a very important transportation option for the Needles area,” said First District Supervisor Robert Lovingood. “It will allow people to access fresh, healthy produce, as well as some of the specialized healthcare facilities located just outside the city limits. The program is an experiment, the first of its kind in San Bernardino County, and one we believe will be a great benefit. Rather than being stranded residents will be able to drive.”
The Needles Carshare Program offers micro-rentals as brief as 1 or 2 hours for licensed drivers 21 or older. For as little as $5 per hour, program members can reserve a well-maintained Nissan Altima (sedan) or a Dodge Caravan (mini-van) which will be stationed in the parking lot of Desert Communities Federal Credit Union at 1001 W. Broadway Street, in Needles.
Those who hope to take advantage of the program must first fill out a free, online application, by going to vvta.org/CarShare. They’ll receive a Membership Smart Card which will allow them to reserve a vehicle online. That same card will be used to gain entry into the vehicle and access to the keys. The CarShare member simply returns the vehicle, free of trash, to the same spot when they are finished.
To keep the program comfortably affordable and allow as many people access as possible, Victor Valley Transit Authority is offsetting other costs, like the usual membership fee. It won’t cost the member anything for fuel so long as they return the vehicle with at least a quarter of a tank of gas. A gas card is provided in the vehicles. Insurance is taken care of as well.
Owning and operating a vehicle is cost prohibitive for many people. Borrowing a car or getting a ride from someone isn’t always possible. Public transportation is usually a viable option but there are times when only a vehicle will work. The Enterprise CarShare Program in Needles hopes to cover those times.
