As a LEED-accredited engineer and leader of the sustainable design initiative for AKF Engineers, Robert Diemer is a believer in the green movement. He helps create greener buildings. He takes public transportation to work.

Recently, Diemer took his commitment to an even higher level by becoming the 50,000th member of PhillyCarShare. With the price of gas topping $4 a gallon, car sharing is a win-win situation for those who need a car just some of the time. PhillyCarShare, like its Boston and D.C. counterparts, GoLoco and Flexcar (both of which merged with Zipcar), PhillyCarShare takes the hassle out of owning a car in the city.

In addition to signing up for himself, Diemer signed up his company as a corporate member.

"My primary motivation," says Diemer, who lives in nearby Cherry Hill, N.J., "was to provide employees with access to a car while in the office so they could continue to take public transportation to and from work. We use cars a lot for the job." With the car-sharing arrangement, the the company's 40 employees can come from their suburban and urban homes without worrying about needing their personal car during the workday, a perk for them as well as a carbon-saving arrangement.

Diemer says he's been a longtime admirer of PhillyCarShare and likes the fact that members have access to different types of vehicles, including pickups and hybrids.

Reducing his carbon footprint is important to Diemer: "As a partner with AKF Engineers, I'm often called on to go to meetings outside the office. With PhillyCarShare I reduce my driving by not taking my car into the city, but I still have access to a car for meetings."

PhillyCarShare was founded by five University of Pennsylvania grads who eventually all made their homes in the Philadelphia area. Being urban dwellers and concerned about the effects of too many vehicles on the environment, the friends started the nonprofit car service, modeled after CityCarShare in San Francisco. Using San Fran's technology, the five began their company with just pocket change, says one founder Clayton Lane, who is now the company's deputy executive director.

"We started with just $25,000 and worked as volunteers out of an apartment in Philadelphia. We did everything from answering the phone at 2 in the morning to changing flat tires and washing the cars," Lane recalls. The company, which started in November of 2002, had more than 500 members by the end of 2003.

"Once we were able to document that members of PhillyCarShare were driving less and thereby keeping more cars off the road, we took this information and applied for grant money...

Full Story: http://www.greenrightnow.com/2008/06/20/phillycarshare-offering-a-greener-way-around-the-city/