HOURCAR users rally to save car-sharing service before Thursday shutdown
Time is running out for a car-sharing service that thousands of Minnesotans rely on for everything from doctor appointments to grocery runs.
Twin Cities nonprofit HOURCAR announced it will shut down Thursday at noon, citing rising vehicle insurance costs and cuts in federal funding. The nonprofit also manages Evie car-share. Both services allow people to access vehicles without owning a car.
Dozens of supporters and elected leaders gathered Tuesday at Minneapolis Government Plaza, calling for emergency funding to keep the service operating.
"It's really important to me. It's near and dear to my heart," said Noah Velick, an HOURCAR employee and organizer of Tuesday's rally.
Velick said without $625,000 in funding to close the gap, more than 14,000 Minnesotans who rely on the service will be impacted.
"I felt devastated when I got the news," Minneapolis resident Eliza Meyer said.
"I was very upset. I rely heavily on HOURCAR," Susan Van Pelt, who also lives in Minneapolis, said.
Van Pelt said she is on Social Security disability benefits and cannot afford to own a vehicle.
"I rely very much on Evie and HOURCAR for all kinds of things," she said. "Shopping, doctor's appointments."
"It means that it's going to be so much harder for me to go to the doctor," Meyer said. "I don't know how I'm going to take my cat to the vet."
While supporters urged local leaders to intervene, City Council Member Soren Stevenson acknowledged the harsh reality.
"The honest truth to you is that it's looking bleak in terms of Minneapolis' budget," Stevenson told attendees.
Still, users like Van Pelt hope elected leaders will find a way to preserve the service.
"I understand that the city has had to spend a lot on police overtime, and there are other areas where I think it could be perhaps tucked in a little bit to make this for thousands of people continue to be available," Van Pelt said.
Organizers said residents can voice their support online as efforts continue to secure funding before Thursday's scheduled shutdown.
