David Dennis was a well-respected member of his community until something happened to him that could happen to anyone. He made the mistake of driving while intoxicated. Many people assume that they are not impaired after a few drinks because they do not notice the difference, but it DOES affect you, and you have a lot to loose. Read the article attached here for the story in David’s perspective and his insight after the fact. Article: Original article

“For me, it will take time to heal the emotional wounds and gain back the trust I have earned through my hard work and righteous living under God.

Let this be a wake-up call for all of the average working folks who don’t think it can happen to them.”

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Executive Suite of Synapse/CuseCar Headquarters

Both CuseCar and Synapse Partners, LLC. are headquartered out of the Historic Bennett Warehouse at 325 East Water Street. The building is a renovated 1800 Erie Canal historic double-ender warehouse. The building features controlled access with hardwood floors and many preserved historic features, including the original brick walls.

The 3rd annual 2009 Downtown Living Tour is designed to showcase downtown Syracuse’s newest examples of urban living. Join the tour Saturday, May 16th as the doors are opened to ten of downtown’s most unique living environments – including upscale condos, new apartments and last year’s winner of the People’s Choice Award. Not to mention the CuseCar headquarters!

Click here for the full article.

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By: Iris St. Meran (original available here)
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — CuseCar, Syracuse’s car sharing organization, has launched a new ambassador program. The Member to Member “Go-Ambassador program” was developed as a way welcome newcomers to their area with a personalized tour of local restaurants, cultural institutions and more.

Speakers in town for the fifth annual symposium on energy in the 21st century were able to test it out Thursday. All hybrid vehicles are used in this green greeting.

“As national and international visitors come to our community as members of CuseCar. They’re welcomed into the city and brought to their destination and it’s just part of a way of welcoming them into our community and telling them of the advantages of being here,” said CuseCar Co-Founder Vita DeMarchi.

“Shared car services are picking up steam all over the country. I’m here from Washington, D.C. I’m a member of the shared car service there and I use their vehicles a lot. It allows my wife and I to have one car instead of two,” said CuseCar user Geoff Anderson.

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A Car-sharing Company Gets $150,000 Grant***

Environmentally friendly cars are available for daily tasks

By Julien Desrayaud (NCC News)
Mar. 25, 2009

Syracuse, N.Y. – A Syracuse business that rents cars by the hour is one of 12 organizations to win state grants for “sustainable” transportation projects that could help reduce the environmental impacts of cars and trucks.

CuseCar, a nonprofit company that started up last summer, will receive $150,000 to help market its “car sharing” service to new customers and to document the operation’s potential to reduce automobile emissions.

The money received comes from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and State Department of Transportation. It can be spent however CuseCar wishes in order to expand.

The advantages of CuseCar:

· No longer need to own a car to do daily errands
· Do not need to maintain or pay expenses of a car
· Have an emergency situation
· Less traffic

How CuseCar works

Customers go to the designated spot where the vehicle is located, hop in and drive to their destination. Once they are done, the driver brings the car back to the origination point for the next person.

Quick Facts

Three spots are downtown by East and West Washington Streets and Erie Boulevard.
Click on this link to see a map:
http://cusecar.com/originations.htm

CuseCar customers pay an annual membership fee of up to $100 for the ability to rent one of the company’s four Prius hybrid cars for $12 an hour.

CuseCar At SUNY-ESF

The fourth starting point is on the ESF campus, which mainly serves students and professors. Michael Kelleher, Director of Renewable Energy Systems and member of the Steering Committee of CuseCar, says, “The main goal is to reduce carbon emissions. People should ride their bikes or walk, but if they need to go a long distance at least they will be able to drive a environmentally safe vehicle.”

It is important to keep in mind that 12 dollars an hour might be too costly for certain people and that renting a car could be a cheaper solution. Will four cars make a significant environmental factor? Probably not but several groups are willing to give it a try.

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Check out this article featured in the Downtown Newsletter of February.
CuseCars Roll into Downtown

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Check out this article about CuseCar’s new origination location. City Hall Becomes Car Share Pickup Point

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Syracuse, New York (WSYR-TV) – Downtown Syracuse Monday unveiled its latest in green initiatives — and it’s yet another incentive for you to go green as well.

The city has designated three parking spaces in downtown for folks who use the CuseCar.

The organization rents out four separate fuel-efficient cars for anyone who wants to use them.

One parking spot is located right in front of City Hall; the others are in two city garages.

On Monday, Mayor Matt Driscoll said the spots are in places to provide CuseCar drivers easy access to buildings, and hopes it will encourage folks to go green.

CuseCar is geared toward college students and families who may not need a car all the time — just once in a while.  Membership so far is limited to students at SUNY ESF, employees of O’Brien and Gere, and members of the Hawley Green Neighborhood Association.

CLICK HERE for more information on the CuseCar program.

Copyright 2008 Newport Television LLC All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

CuseCar Parking Sign. Courtesy of philatsun via Flickr.

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Check out this article featured in the Urban Transportation Monitor.
Syracuse, NY, Implements Community-Based Car-Sharing

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The first of what proponents hope will be 100 cars in the Syracuse area.

CuseCar held its first membership drive Wednesday, Nov. 12, in Alumni (Nifkin) Lounge at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF). Membership in CuseCar is open to SUNY-ESF students, faculty and staff.

CuseCar is a not-for-profit community car sharing organization, with the mission to provide a sustainable transportation program in Onondaga County that will reduce vehicle miles traveled, lower the carbon footprint, improve air quality, and assist in developing a new green energy fuel distribution system for the community.

CuseCar is offered to drivers 18 and up who qualify for membership. There is an annual membership fee of $100, and beyond that, CuseCar drivers pay an hourly and mileage rate for usage only. The hourly rate is $12, with 60 miles free per reservation. CuseCar’s fleet consists of alternatively fueled vehicles, currently comprising the Toyota Prius Hybrid as well as a compressed natural gas vehicle from Honda.

Vita DeMarchi, co-founder of CuseCar and a member of the SUNY-ESF Board of Trustees, has gifted one of the first three Prius CuseCars to ESF for the students, faculty and staff to use. “SUNY-ESF is one of the leaders in creating and implementing sustainability initiatives. It only seemed natural to include ESF as one of the first CuseCar Origination Locations,” DeMarchi said.

As part of the program, CuseCar will have a designated parking space on the SUNY-ESF campus. CuseCar will also have convenient designated parking throughout the city of Syracuse and Onondaga County.

Mike Kelleher, director of renewable energy systems at ESF, said, “SUNY-ESF is proud to be part of the CuseCar program and our campus community will find it to be an asset in improving the efficiency of our transportation system. Walking, biking, mass transit and the CuseCar are all essential elements of our efforts to reduce the fuel use and emissions associated with transportation in our community.”

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CuseCar's Chris Beck and Steering Committee member Barry Carr.

CuseCar, a new vehicle-sharing business, is taking its first step toward launching a citywide business. CuseCar is locating its first Toyota Prius on the campus of SUNY ESF. Students and faculty members who buy memberships will be able to rent the car by the hour.

Check out the full article here.

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