New I-GO Chi-Town Rewards Member: Healthy Green Goods

If you ever find yourself with some time to kill in Evanston, you should check out Healthy Green Goods, the most recent local business to offer I-GO members a discount by joining our Chi-Town Rewards program.

It’s simple! All you have to do is flash your I-GO smartcard and you’ll receive 10% off your entire purchase! Healthy Green Goods carries a wide array of truly safe and organic products. Need help finding toxin-free, eco-friendly products for everyday living? Healthy Green Goods can help. Swing by their store in Evanston or check them out online.

Healthy Green Goods:
702 Main Street
Evanston, IL 60202

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I-GO Car Sharing now on Facebook and Twitter

Want to stay connected to all that’s going on here at I-GO Car Sharing? Join our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter! You’ll be the first to hear about new car locations, member benefit updates, event invites, calls for volunteers and a whole lot more!

I-GO and I save!

Ever wonder just how much you’re saving by not owning a car? Check out the cost breakdown of one of our members’ yearly driving expenses. Car sharing is about more than just “going green”—it can also save you some dough! And in today’s economy, that’s something we’re all trying to do…

Got Gas?

The rule of thumb here at I-GO is that if the gas tank reaches a quarter (or below) while you’re out and about, you will need to stop and refuel the vehicle before returning it. We cover the cost of gas. You just need to put it in!

Each vehicle is equipped with a fuel card, which can be found in the keypad device in the glove box. When you swipe the gas card at the pump, you will be asked to enter two numbers: (1) the odometer and (2) the Driver ID (which is not your member number). The odometer reading can be found on the dash board of the car. The Driver ID will appear on the keypad screen when you remove the gas card. In order to make sure that it does show up on the screen, follow these simple steps:

1. Make sure the car is on
2. Turn off the vehicle, but keep the key in the ignition
3. Take the gas card out of the keypad (in glove box)
4. The Driver ID will appear on the keypad screen

If, after pulling the gas card out of the keypad, the screen stays blank or displays “1234”– call our office (773.278.4446) and we can both provide you with the Driver ID and also reprogram the keypad so that the problem does not occur again. Happy Driving!

A Parking Pickle

Have you ever gone to return your I-GO car only to find a non-I-GO vehicle already parked in the I-GO space? Talk about annoying! If you ever find yourself in this situation, please call our office at 773.278.4446 and press “1”. We can advise you on the best place to park– usually, the closest legal parking spot to the reserved I-GO space. We’ll also have the offending vehicle towed, if possible, and inform the next I-GO member who’s reserved the car you’re returning that it’s parked out of position.

Green your Cocktail with VeeV

The I-GO member holiday party was a smashing success last week! Thank you to all who came out and rang in the start of the holiday season with us! We welcomed over 200 I-GO members into our LEED Platinum Certified building for food, raffle prizes and drinks.

VeeV was kind enough to sponsor the drinks at our holiday party and it was an exciting new liquor to try out. VeeV has created the world’s first acai (pronounced: ah-sigh-EE) berry spirit. Acai berries are grown only in Brazil and are considered to be a “superfood”- they have 57% more antioxidants than pomegranates or blueberries and 30 times more heart-healthy anthocyanins than red wine! Check out what Lenette, an I-GO member and raw foodist, had to say about the exciting new drink on her blog GO Raw: Chicago.

Have you heard of this new drink?

I-GO Membership Drive: Edgewater

I-GO Membership Drive
Tues., Oct. 28, 5-7pm
6301 N. Sheridan Rd.

Hello, Edgewater! We recently added a new car at 6301 N. Sheridan Rd. (vehicle I.D. #4404), and I-GO staff will be there to answer all your questions about our service and to sign you up! Come for the membership sign-up discount (just $25 – a savings of $50 off the standard rate!), stay for the wine and cheese. Get a friend or family member to join, and we’ll give you $20 worth of driving credits!

I-GO to the Chicago Marathon

Part of I-GO’s mission is to get cars off the street and reduce urban congestion. But if you made it out to the 31^st annual Chicago Marathon this past Sunday, you might have caught a glimpse of I-GO’s very own Sheena McNeal taking that ideal one step further. Or, rather, thousands of steps further. People power is about as low-emission as it gets.

Sheena has been our Outreach Coordinator for the past two years. This was her first marathon; although, judging from the glow on her face afterward, it won’t be her last. Congratulations to Sheena and all the other runners who participated and epitomize the most environmentally friendly mode of transportation of all.

The Center for Neighborhood Technology Celebrates 30 Years!

The Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT)—the larger non-profit org that first conceived and rolled out I-GO Car Sharing in 2002—celebrated its 30^th anniversary in style last night at Chicago’s Garfield Park Conservatory. The evening featured a lineup of eco-conscious speakers, including Sadhu Johnston– Chicago’s resident green guru, as well as a festive soundtrack furnished by the post-bop Patrick Mulcahy jazz quartet and a New Orleans-style Mardi Gras marching band.

The verdant landmark venue, designed in 1908 by legendary landscape architect Jens Jensen, is celebrating its own significant birthday this year—100 years of cultivating plants, folks—so the setting couldn’t have been more apropos. Garfield was green long before green was cool.

CNT is a creative think-and-do tank that focuses on issues related to climate change, energy, natural resources, and transportation and community development. Founded in 1978, it has been a leader in promoting more livable and sustainable urban communities, both in Chicago and around the country. I-GO is proud to be affiliated with CNT, and we wish them many more decades of successful innovation.

Admit it- you listen to NPR when cruising around in your I-GO vehicle…

Hank Sartin, from Time Out Chicago, recently blogged about being an I-GO Car Sharing member. Not only did he give some props to I-GO, but he also pointed out something I myself have noticed before- the correlation between I-GO members and NPR.

When first hopping into your reserved I-GO vehicle, you usually adjust the mirrors and seat, buckle up and obtain a glimpse into the personality of the previous member as the radio turns on to the station (and volume level) it was last left at. And I’ve got to admit, more than often when I turn that key in the ignition, the radio is on NPR. However cliche this may be, I can’t say it’s a bad thing. Has anyone else noticed this or are we the only ones? Click here to check out Sartin’s TOC blog post.