Green LA Girl reports that L.A. finally has a new car sharing option. Here’s the gist:

Called LAXCarShare, this new car-sharing service officially launched May 17, and already has 5 cars available for hourly rental in downtown Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and Venice with plans to add cars in 3 more locations soon. Now, if ever you have an emergency, you can check out a car online or via your mobile device, walk or bike over to the nearest LAXCarShare car, and start driving in minutes!

L.A. currently has one car sharing company, Zipcar, but it only serves USC and UCLA. Great for students, but for those of us who don’t live on campus it can be a hassle. And the fact is, the USC and UCLA campus’ aren’t currently convenient to Metro Rail. While LAXCarShare is starting off with a small fleet of vehicles, it’s already got three in Downtown L.A. – each within blocks of a Metro Rail station. And according to their website, a new vehicle location is planned for the Hollywood/Western Red Line Station.

For those who aren’t familiar with how car sharing works, Green LA Girl offers a nice summary:

After signing up and becoming a member of the car-sharing program, you get a little keycard. Simply book a car, swipe the keycard in front of a sensor in the car’s dashboard, and the doors will open. Grab the keys from the glove compartment, and start driving. Just make sure to return the car where you got it, by the time you said you’d bring it back. This way, you have access to a car when you need it without paying for permanent ownership.

How much does it all cost? There’s a $25 application fee and a $25 membership fee once approved. To take out a car it costs $7/hour or $60/day with gas, insurance, roadside assistance provided for up to 180 miles a day. Make sure to check out the full Green LA Girl story for information on how to get a special deal on membership.

For those on the fence about dumping their vehicles, car-sharing can provide a great safety net. We’ll be looking into L.A.’s car sharing options in more detail in the future.