By Carol McCracken
Tomorrow marks the official kickoff of the city’s new rent-a-car program. The city is partnering with U-Haul to make this service available to local drivers. The official kickoff starts at 12:15 p.m. on Commercial Street near the Maine State Pier.
Four parking spaces at two city locations have been designated to park the cars to be rented. One is on Commercial Street near the Pier. The other location is on Elm Street adjacent to the Portland Public Library. These sites were picked by the city because they connect up with public transportation systems; METRO and the Casco Bay Ferry.
The cost of gas, maintenance and insurance are included in the rental charge.
City councilor and Transportation Committee Chair Kevin Donoghue said: “Car sharing is an essential component of our public transportation system. It costs the city absolutely nothing and has the capacity to save our residents a great deal of money on transportation costs.”
Please visit www.ucarshare.com for more details.