Twin Cities Transit Riders Speak Out About the Loss of Local Carshare
When Theresa and Josh moved from Wisconsin to Minneapolis, they chose a home near a bus line in a walkable neighborhood with safe streets for biking. They already considered themselves “car-lite,” but couldn’t yet envision life without a household vehicle.
“We had an aging Toyota Corolla that we knew we didn’t want to replace,” Theresa said. “Most days it sat in the driveway, but we kept it around for Costco runs and trips out of town.”
Soon the inevitable happened. The Corolla needed a repair so expensive the choices were clear: Get rid of it and go car-free, or put their money into buying a new car. “We’d been aware of HOURCAR/Evie for some time, but we’d never tried it,” Theresa said. “We decided to give it a trial run and keep the car until we were sure that it made sense to get rid of it. HOURCAR ended up being the solution to our problem!”
In August 2024, the couple got rid of the Corolla and became a car-free household—thanks to the carsharing program with 250 vehicles across Minneapolis and Saint Paul that could be used for as little as $10 per hour.
“Since becoming HOURCAR members, it has saved us so much money on repairs, insurance, and gas money,” she said. “We’re really not sure how we’re going to replace what became an essential service to our family.”
Now, Theresa and Josh—along with thousands of other members—have fewer transportation options. Because of a reportedly insurmountable $1.1 million deficit, HOURCAR abruptly shut down on October 15, sparking widespread outcry from community members who rely on it to get around.
Two weeks later, the City of Saint Paul stepped in with a $300,000 commitment to keep Evie carshare operating in Saint Paul. “Saint Paul is not walking away from carshare,” Mayor Her said. “This is about the people and families who rely on this service. Climate change isn’t waiting, and neither can we. We are using creative funding sources to bridge the gap in our service area, and we are inviting others to join us.”
At Move Minnesota, we’re fighting for all Twin Cities residents to have access to fast, frequent, and affordable public transit that can meet the needs of their daily lives. That’s why we successfully fought for long-term, dedicated funding for public transit at the state legislature, and, since the passage of a regional sales tax in 2023, have been advocating to ensure those dollars are used to improve the existing system and expand access to many more people.
We also recognize that for folks without a personal vehicle, carsharing fills a critical gap for lengthy trips, grocery hauls, and times when the bus just can’t get you there on time. And, access to a convenient carsharing service is so important for our thousands of neighbors who want to walk, roll, bike, and take transit more but aren’t sure about giving up a car entirely.
Move Minnesota applauds the City of Saint Paul for taking quick action to respond to residents’ concerns about losing carsharing. At the same time, as Mayor Her acknowledged, “the city cannot sustain a regional transportation service alone.” Our communities need a long-lasting solution. As a next step, we encourage you to join us in reaching out to decision-makers at the Metropolitan Council, state legislature, City of Saint Paul, and City of Minneapolis to support public carshare.
Over the organization’s 21-year history, HOURCAR grew into one of the largest programs of its kind in the nation, with more than 748,000 trips and 14,630 users over two decades. According to the company’s 2025 Community Impact report, 42 percent of its users identified as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), and 46 percent identified as low-income. But Evie’s impact went far beyond providing affordable and dignified transportation options; it also contributed to cleaner air and less congested streets. With the introduction of Evie in 2022, the carshare service went largely electric, with nearly 90% of trips taken in an electric vehicle in 2025.
Ultimately, carshare is not a substitute for continuing to invest in and expand our bus and rail system or our safe and accessible bicycling, walking, and rolling infrastructure, but it is an incredibly important complement to growing public transit that can give people more freedom to choose how they move and more agency over their household budgets. Especially with spiking prices for gas and daily expenses, the cost of personal car ownership is out of reach for a growing number of Minnesotans. In 2026, AAA reported that the average annual cost to own and operate a new vehicle is $12,863. That’s not an expense that fit into Olumide F.’s budget. When he moved to Minnesota, he couldn’t afford a car and didn’t know many folks who could provide rides when he needed one.
“HOURCAR made it possible to easily and conveniently go to the hospital, get groceries, see friends, make a random trip to Brooklyn Park to get jollof rice with my twin and as an independent filmmaker, I took it to shoots and gigs,” Olumide shared on social media. “I feel semi-privileged because I will probably be ok, but I am saddened for those who are especially in need of such a service. A Minnesota without Evies is definitely a less pro-people one, the ending of this service will greatly reduce many people’s quality of life.”
It will also impact small businesses that rely on affordable transportation—as Zeke C., a Minneapolis resident and HOURCAR member, shared.
“I run a small business, take care of my home and family, and I don’t own a car,” Zeke said. “I can’t afford to own a reliable car on my own, and learn and do everything it takes to keep a car reliable. At the same time, it takes a tremendous amount of planning, physical energy, and luck to run my life on just bicycle and public transportation. What it asks of me is to remake my life around the weather and how I can or can’t get around that day. What I can afford, and what has supported my independence and avoided putting yet another personal car on our crowded streets, was HOURCAR, and their Evie service.”
“I had access to a reliable vehicle for essential trips and occasional longer distance business meetings. I could make my monthly Big Errands run,’ he added. “I could get supplies to do repairs on my house. Every once in a while I could get out of the city for some quiet nature time and fresh air. These are things I need, and HOURCAR’s carsharing services met that need for me and my family.”
Like Zeke, Amy P. in Minneapolis also called HOURCAR “the essential missing piece that made living car-free possible.” While transit, biking, and walking are becoming more convenient and safe options throughout the Twin Cities, Amy still had times when those choices couldn’t reasonably meet her transportation needs. And access to carshare wasn’t just an amenity for her; it was a way to stay engaged in her community and connected to loved ones.
“Thanks to Evie and HOURCAR, we were able to deliver groceries to neighbors in need during the height of Operation Metro Surge, take visiting family to the Minnesota State Fair, and visit loved ones in Duluth—all without owning a car or adding more fossil fuel emissions to our air,” Amy said. “These were ordinary, everyday, meaningful parts of life that shouldn’t require owning a private vehicle. Evie and HOURCAR made a car-free lifestyle not just possible, but practical, affordable, and fulfilling.”
No one should have to sacrifice connecting with the people they love and getting to the places they need to go simply because they don’t own a car. As Olumide emphasized: “Safe, convenient, and accessible transportation options should not be a privilege, but a fixed right.”
Thank you to everyone who has shared your stories about the importance of carsharing in our communities and rallied for change! Keep speaking up. Tell your elected officials at the city, state, and regional levels to continue fighting for quick and convenient public transit and to provide new resources that can revive and sustain carsharing service across the metro. And, if you or your friends and neighbors are navigating the current loss of service as we advocate together for the return of carsharing, also be sure to check out our Choose How You Move page for helpful info about available transit choices that are cost-friendly and ready to use.
Featured image photos courtesy of @kehfam. Rally photo credit: Move Minnesota.