Now White Center residents have cars available for hourly rental just as West Seattleites have had for several years but now there's a cut rate for people who are low income, looking for a job or training for one.

Flexcar has been in use in West Seattle since 2002. After paying a membership fee, members can reserve and rent a car for $8 to $10 per hour. That covers gas, insurance, 24-hour emergency service and unlimited mileage.

Flexcar has a Job Access program that makes cars temporarily available for rent at reduced rates for people who qualify as low income or who are receiving job training as Work Source clients. The Flexcar membership is waived and for the first three months of membership in the Job Access program, qualifying members can rent cars for $3 an hour for job-related trips. Other trips are $5 an hour.

People who are actively looking for work and need a car to get to job interviews qualify under the Job Access program, said Jamie Cheney, Flexcar general manager for Seattle. The program has drawn some clients from among students at South Seattle Community College.

The Job Access program is meant to be "synergistic" with King County Metro bus service, she said.

"You use Flexcar to get the job," Cheney said. "Then you use Metro (to commute) after you've got the job."

The cars are regular and hybrid sedans such as Honda Civic and Accord, Toyota Corolla and Prius. There are some sport utility vehicles such as Honda Element and pickup trucks like the Toyota Tacoma here and there too. The vehicles are kept at designated parking spaces spread around the neighborhoods.

In White Center, a Flexcar hybrid sedan is parked at 16th Avenue Southwest and Southwest Henderson by the Salvation Army's White Center Community Center.

Another hybrid as well as a regular sedan are being kept at the Department of Social and Health Services building between 14th and 15th avenues southwest just south of Roxbury Street.

Another car is stationed at the White Center Community Center near 13th Avenue Southwest and Southwest 102nd Street.

Another Flexcar, a sedan, is being parked at Neighborhood House, by Fifth Avenue Southwest north of 102nd Street.

Finally there's a Flexcar hybrid sedan parked near the Westwood Heights high-rise, near 27th Avenue and Roxbury Street.

Members receive a skeleton key that opens a locked box at the car. The ignition key is in the locked box. Renters are expected to gas up before dropping off the car if the fuel tank is less than a quarter full. A gas credit card is in the car at all times.

"West Seattle has been a real strong neighborhood for us," Cheney said.

West Seattle has three Flexcar locations along California Avenue. Sedans are available at Puget Consumers Co-op Market, 2749 California Ave. S.W., and next to the West Seattle Thriftway at Morgan Junction. A pickup truck is parked by Southwest Brandon Street.

There's a Flexcar at the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center as well as at South Seattle Community College.

Flexcar originated in Seattle in 2000 as a partnership between Mobility, Inc. and King County Metro. Mobility, Inc. submitted a proposal for hourly rental of cars in response to a request for proposals issued by King County Metro, Cheney said.

Four years ago, Flexcar had 60 cars available in Seattle. This year there are 15,000 members signed up in the Seattle area to use 200 cars.

Now the company also operates car-rental programs in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Portland, Atlanta and Washington, D.C.

For more information about Flexcar, call 726-2804.

Tim St. Clair can be reached at tstclair@robinsonnews.com or 932-0300.