Zipcar's LowCARdiet Starts July 15th

Our friends at zipcar are offering great deals for their low car diet month, which starts on July 15th. If you have been on the fence about joining zipcar or trading in your wheels for carsharing, there has never been a better time!

From Zipcar's marketing department:

Hello Friends of Zipcar Seattle!

Last year, folks across Zipcar nation turned in their car keys for 30 days as part of our Low-Car Diet. Starting July 15, a new crop of participants will begin their journey.

The Low-Car Diet Challenge is an annual Zipcar event that encourages people across the country to test drive a car-free routine and see how it works for their daily lifestyle. It is the first step toward getting consumers to consider permanently giving up a first or second vehicle. To date, Zipcar estimates that it has taken more than 90,000 personally-owned vehicles off urban streets.

Participants will be encouraged to blog about their experiences and share how going car "light" is affecting various aspects of their lifestyle, including cost savings, fuel savings, reduced VMT (vehicle miles traveled), and even personal weight loss. You will be able to follow the participants during their month-long journey on the Zipcar Low-Car Diet micro-site.

Participants (assuming approval as a safe driver) get their first year’s annual and application fees waived, driving credit, and a car-free survival kit filled with goodies from our sponsors.

Know someone who might be up to the challenge? Get started here. Selected entrants will be notified by email.

In 2008, we issued the challenge to all 12 of our North American cities. In the end, after putting down their keys for 30 days, the 300 participants found out what the Zipcar way of life is all about and collectively had:

85% increase in miles walked
136% increase in miles biked
71% decrease in miles driven