Vail aims to jumpstart a carsharing program in 2026

The Vail Town Council wants residents and visitors to start borrowing cars.

A long-contemplated community carshare program is being enthusiastically supported by town officials, with council members directing Environmental Sustainability Manager Beth Markham to have the details ready for a 2026 launch.

Markham outlined a draft proposal during the council’s regular meeting on Tuesday, saying the program would expand mobility options for residents — particularly those in local workforce housing where parking can be limited, like Vail’s new Timber Ridge Village complex — while offering an affordable alternative to car ownership.

The Timber Ridge Village parking situation is prompting a level of urgency for the program, as units in that development only come with one surface parking space per unit, even on 3- and 4-bedroom units, which may contain multiple car-owning residents. Timber Ridge Village is expecting to have its first of its 302 incoming units completed in December.

Two vendors submitted proposals in response to the town’s carshare request for proposals earlier this year: Zipcar and Drop Mobility. Both offered similar app-based, turn-key programs with dedicated parking pods, insurance, maintenance and customer support included.

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Town staff ultimately recommended Zipcar, citing the company’s established operations, hybrid vehicle options and turn-key management approach. If approved, Zipcar would launch a four-car system featuring Toyota RAV4 or 4Runner hybrids, with the town providing parking spaces and a modest revenue guarantee if user fees fall short of operational costs.

The town’s potential cost exposure for the Zipcar program is estimated at between $88,000 and $128,000 in the first year, depending on whether the Town Council opts to subsidize rates for users.

The idea of a town subsidy appeared to be supported on Tuesday, with council members saying the most important element of the program in its early stages is to ensure it’s actually being used.

“I appreciate the thoughtfulness to the budget … but I think that we would be short-sighted if we were hyper-focused on this number or that number,” said Mayor Travis Coggin. “We need people to be in these cars, driving around, showing the community that it is a great transit option for you, and if we spend $100,000 and no one is riding in them, versus spending $125,000 and people are riding in them, that’s a big thing.”

Without a subsidy, community rates would start at $12.50 per hour or $89 per day for a “Better Class” vehicle such as a RAV4 hybrid. With a $40,000 subsidy, rates could drop to $11.25 per hour or $77.50 per day, but final pricing is still being worked out.

Council members suggested creating the least amount of entry barrier to the carshare program, making it available to locals and visitors alike.

“The success of the program is more important, initially, than who is exactly using it, as long as we’re getting everyone to utilize it and the cars are here and available as an amenity for our people who have decided not to bring a car to the valley,” said Council member Reid Phillips.

While an official program has yet to be approved, its support among the council was viewed as a foregone conclusion during Tuesday’s discussion, with council members already looking to details that would follow its implementation, like marketing and branding.

“If it’s a bright pink car, everyone would see it,” said Mayor Pro Tim Barry Davis, before acknowledging, “I’m not on the marketing team for a reason” with a laugh.

But Davis’ point was well taken nonetheless.

“I think it needs to be something that’s really branded in a fun, creative way, to advertise it,” he said.