The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Car-sharing rental program coming to county
Place to Recover in Elyria Twp. among sites for program vehicles
“This is going to benefit residents of Lorain County. Insurance is already taken care of and we’re making sure we set the app up and learn it well before our candidates are able to use it.” — Wendy Caldwell, executive director of Place to Recover
In an effort to ease some of the transportation challenges in Lorain County, a new carsharing program is coming.
Place to Recover, 2096 North Ridge Road in Elyria Township, will be home to an all-electric 2020 Chevrolet Volt, available for use by marginalized groups.
“We know that finding transportation to and from work can be difficult, so we want to give people the opportunity to have a chance to do so,” said Wendy Caldwell, executive director of Place to Recover.
She learned about an opportunity to apply for funding through Sharon Pearson, the Lorain County Mobility manager.
However, although Caldwell applied for the Paradox Prize Award, she didn’t receive the funding.
Despite the difficulties, she said her mission was too important to give up.
In January 2020, Caldwell joined the Let’s Get to Work Lorain County Collaborative.
“I believe our clientele is mainly underserved and marginalized people, and I knew how important it was to make sure we could help those struggling to find a job or finding a way to get to and from work,” she said.
On Feb. 6, 2021, the Let’s Get to Work Collaborative gave a presentation to the Paradox Prize Committee and was awarded $100,000 to expand transportation services to Lorain County.
Caldwell said the city of Oberlin is investing in two cars to be part of the program. One car will be located at Oberlin City Hall, 85 S. Main St. and the other at the Gasholder Building, 291 S. Main St.
The car-sharing service will enhance transportation availability on evenings and weekends and provides transportation services to clients at Place to Recover, Catholic Charities and Lorain County residents, she said.
“The car costs $4 an hour to rent, and we’re going to make sure people get use out of it,” Caldwell said.
There is a charging station in the back of Place to Recover.
If someone’s working during the day, she said other people can use a code to pick up the car and get to and from their work until it ends up at its original location.
Licenses and driving records will be checked through an app used to access the vehicle, and spots can be booked through the app as well.
“This is going to benefit residents of Lorain County,” Caldwell said. “Insurance is already taken care of and we’re making sure we set the app up and learn it well before our candidates are able to use it.”