car2go Decreases Service Area in Twin Cities

car2go has downsized its 107 square-mile service area to 50 square miles in Minneapolis and St. Paul, according to a report by the Minnesota Daily.

In Minneapolis, the new service area extends from East 54th Street in the south to Northeast 27th Avenue in the north part of the city, and it reaches to France Avenue South to the west, according to the report. In St. Paul, the service area is in between Minnehaha Avenue and St. Clair Avenue.

There will be six service stations to the north and south of the Minneapolis “home area.” St. Paul stations have yet to be determined, says the report.

“Through a lot of member feedback and our own market research, we found that cars were sitting up to 75% longer in most lower-usage areas,” Josh Johnson, car2go’s Twin Cities general manager, told the Minnesota Daily. “That ultimately affected the overall vehicle availability in both Minneapolis and St. Paul. It is unfair for residents to have a car sitting there that much longer when it could be in the core area where it could be used more.”

The new “home area” will have 340 cars in Minneapolis and 100 cars stationed in St. Paul, says the report. car2go starts its carsharing service in Minneapolis in 2013 and St. Paul in 2014.

Click here for the full Minnesota Daily report.