VISIONARIES: Creighton Randall
Posted on Thursday, January 7th, 2010
by block club
Sometimes the most frustrating problems pose the most obvious solutions. Less than two years ago, Creighton Randall and a group of college friends decided to find a solution to the transportation needs of many city residents. Whereas access to a car may not be an issue for many here, it is for some. With Buffalo CarShare, those in need of wheels can rent a reliable, new vehicle for hours at a time to help them on their way. And just like that, hundreds of WNYers are getting the help they need. The work of Creighton and his co-founders shows that sometimes it doesn’t take a lot to do a lot. -Ben Siegel
What is car-sharing?
We look at it as an alternative to car ownership. It makes sense if you need a car occasionally, if you know you’re going need a car a few times in the next couple of months, even a few times in the next month, or once a week. It’s for occasional use. Most of our members use a car for trips to the grocery store, maybe the doctor’s office, regular stops at child care.
How did this group of students decide to start a non-profit?
A group of us from UB, several of us from the planning department, got the conversation started. We applied for a grant through the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority a little more than a year ago. We are part of larger umbrella organization called the Wellness Institute of Greater Buffalo, which includes non-profits like Blue Bicycle, Grassroots Gardens…
How did you become interested in starting a carshare program in Buffalo?
A few of us had seen this in other cities. Once we started looking into it, we became aware that it exists in maybe about 40 cities across the country with several in Canada, as well. There’s no competitiveness, in that Toronto’s not worried we’re going to move there, and we’re not worried that Toronto’s going to move here. So there was a lot of sharing of information. We were able to sort of stand on the shoulders of giants, look at their best practices, talk to other directors to see how they run things. We continue to do that. It’s very open. There’s probably 400,000 people in the country using some sort of car sharing.
Is this an urban planning issue as much as it might be a convenience issue?
It’s making it easier for people to get around. Making it less of an issue. Because everybody needs a car. It makes it easier to be committed to what you have to do. You’ve got that backup.
Have you noticed this push in the last few years of small nonprofits making a difference?
I think there’s a lot of potential. To me Buffalo is a big city. I grew up in a small city, so it’s a big enough city that’s got all sorts of amenities. It’s the vitality that makes the city interesting. But it’s also small enough that 20-year-olds can start a non-profit. It’s small enough so that you can get to know everybody pretty easily, and you can feel like you’re making a difference. There’s definitely a movement of new ideas.
