Carver Apartments, a 63-unit building situated in the District’s LeDroit Park neighborhood, has created a car-lite community ready to embrace sustainable transportation. After Carver Apartments opened in 2019, Dominique Danielle, Marketing Manager at Urban Investment Properties (UIP), developed a transit-friendly campaign to attract new residents.
Starting as a pre-leasing incentive, the campaign allowed tenants to choose a complimentary pass for a variety of transportation options such as bikesharing, carsharing, and other transit modes targeting a demographic that’s open to sustainable living. "I honestly didn't think it would be so well received," Danielle said. As Carver Apartments leased up, she enjoyed watching the community take on a personality of its own -- one ready to embrace sustainable transportation and Carver’s convenient location.
Promoting Sustainable Transportation Use
New residents could choose to get an annual Capital Bikeshare membership ($85 value), an annual Zipcar membership ($70 value), or a free SmarTrip card ($100 value) upon signing their lease. "People were aggressively in pursuit of these incentives," Danielle said. Memberships for Capital Bikeshare and Zipcar proved to be most popular among residents, likely due to the Zipcar and Capital Bikeshare station located 10 yards from the building's front door. Carver Apartments offers other amenities that support a car-lite lifestyle like secure bike storage.
Like many other buildings in the District, Carver Apartments has no on-site parking. Instead, residents are able to purchase parking at a remote garage on Howard University's campus located only four blocks away. The limited parking has never been a concern for residents because they move in with a transit mindset. Most Carver residents don’t own cars. Only one resident brought a motorcycle and eventually sold it. The few residents who do need parking, like those in law enforcement who have a company car, are able to get it.
Carver Apartments has a strong graduate student and secondary student population due to its proximity to Howard University’s College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences. Danielle estimates a third of her residents are working remotely as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Thanks to Carver’s leasing incentives, most residents have access to transportation despite limited travel operations.
Looking to embrace sustainable transportation at your residential community?
goDCgo can provide complimentary resources and assistance for bulk purchasing of Capital Bikeshare memberships. Have transit incentives but need help promoting them? goDCgo can provide support by creating customized marketing materials for you to share with residents. We are here to help highlight your property’s location and amenities, and drive new residents to your sustainable community. Email casey.auch@goDCgo.com for assistance.
