Car-Share Program Expanding To UES, Gobbling Up 16 Parking Spaces

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — More than a dozen Upper East Side parking spots will be handed over to private car-share companies as the city expands what it calls a successful experiment in short-term vehicle rentals.

The 16 parking spots — two each on eight Upper East Side blocks — were revealed in a letter sent by the Department of Transportation to Community Board 8 earlier this month, which was posted online ahead of a Wednesday board meeting where DOT will discuss the plans.

First launched in 2018 as a pilot in 14 neighborhoods, the car-share program set aside 285 parking spots where companies like Zipcar and Enterprise Carshare placed vehicles that could be rented out for quick trips by members of the public.

The goal, the city said, was to reduce the need for private car ownership. A subsequent study by researchers at the University of California Berkeley found some successes: the thousands of drivers who used the car shares reduced their "vehicle miles traveled" by a combined 38.7 million miles each year, and 8 percent of participants said they sold a car or avoided buying one thanks to the quick-rental cars.

All told, the small pilot cut participants' greenhouse gas emissions by 12,000 metric tons each year, the study found. Based on those findings, the city announced last year that it would expand car-sharing to more neighborhoods.

Here are the Upper East Side blocks set to receive two new car-share spots each:

• 1579 Second Ave. (on East 82nd Street)
• 1411 Third Ave. (on East 80th Street)
• 558 East 87th St.
• 340 East 73rd St.
• 134 East 93rd St.
• 1498 Second Ave. (on East 78th Street)
• 78 East 74th St.
• 301 East 90th St.

The department will present its plans to CB8's transportation committee Wednesday evening. Its letter says the car-share spots will be installed by this fall, though DOT says it will take residents' feedback into account before making a final site selection.

Reached for comment by Patch, a DOT spokesperson did not say which company will manage the Upper East Side locations. Two of the three companies that participated in the pilot — Enterprise and Car2Go — no longer run car-share programs, while the third, Zicpar, remains a visible presence in the city.

The neighborhoods being chosen for the car-share expansion were selected by the companies themselves, based on city guidelines requiring the parking spots to be non-metered, curbside lanes.

"We look forward on working with the private sector to build on the success of our pilot program and invite interested companies to register to participate in the future," spokesperson Vin Barone said.

Have an Upper East Side news tip? Contact reporter Nick Garber at nick.garber@patch.com.