Courtesy of CBBEL
From left: MPC's Tim Grzesiakowski, I-GO's Sharon Feigon, and author of this blog post Christopher Burke celebrate the announcement of Christopher B. Burke Engineering, Ltd.'s partnership with I-GO Car Sharing.
By Christopher B. Burke, PhD, PE, D.WRE, President, Christopher B. Burke Engineering, Ltd.; Member, Metropolitan Planning Council Board of Governors - August 16, 2012
Our company, Christopher B. Burke Engineering, Ltd. (CBBEL), of Rosemont, Ill., is proud to announce a unique partnership with I-GO Car Sharing, Chicago’s only local, nonprofit car sharing company. As we reduced our car fleet by more than 50 percent, we came to I-GO as the solution and became the first I-GO corporate member to make such a large downsize in a car fleet.
This partnership also makes it possible for I-GO to expand its car sharing service to Rosemont, a brand new I-GO community.
In our company, we are always seeking new opportunities to help reduce costs as well as be more environmentally friendly. In addition to our partnership with I-GO, we’ve also become a member of metropolitan Chicago’s Commute Options pilot. Facilitated by the Metropolitan Planning Council, Commute Options is helping employers like us achieve our environmental missions and improve our employees' commutes.
From 6 a.m. every Monday until 6 p.m. every Friday, CBBEL employees in Rosemont use two low-emission I-GO vehicles as their staff vehicles to go to meetings and make site visits. Every Friday afternoon, CBBEL employees shuttle the same I-GO vehicles to the Rosemont Blue Station. This makes it possible for I-GO members who don’t own their own car (or who live in households with more drivers than cars) to run errands, visit family members, get their kids to soccer practice and more. Every Monday morning, CBBEL employees shuttle the I-GO vehicles back to CBBEL’s office on Higgins Road.
Sharon Feigon, I-GO CEO, remarked that this partnership also advances car sharing in the private sector while increasing use of public transit by CBBEL's employees.
“This is a great example of how I-GO Car Sharing serves as a cost-effective and environmentally-sound fleet management solution. As a result of this partnership, CBBEL will cut the size of its fleet in half while increasing its access to highly fuel-efficient vehicles for use by its employees. We're proud to support CBBEL in its continued drive to be more sustainable," Feigon said.
Richard Kosmacher, I-GO director of business development, worked with CBBEL to develop the program.
"A lot of people are talking about doing these types of things, but CBBEL is actually doing it," he said about the reduction in car fleet and use of I-GO.
We also are getting great feedback from clients as our employees arrive on the job site in I-GO cars. Plus our employees have found the car sharing system easy and accessible to use.
"I like that you can sign up online and you can see immediately if a car is available," said Dave Kleinwachter, CBBEL employee. "As soon as you know you have a client meeting you can lock in the meeting time and easily add more time if it goes over."
The partnership with I-GO is one of the many environmental initiatives at CBBEL. CBBEL’s ongoing commitment to sustainability can be seen in their numerous green programs such as a green roof and garden, bike to work program, electric car charging station and recycling and waste reduction programs.
For more information on I-GO visit, www.igocars.org and CBBEL, www.cbbel.com.