A variation on car sharing programs is the concept of ‘station cars.’ Station cars are parked at major transit nodes (such as rail stations or bus transfer points) and are rented by transit passengers for trips from the transit terminal to their local destination(s). By bridging the gap from the ‘end of the transit line’ and the traveler’s final destination, station cars provide the door-to-door service that makes transit use more feasible, particularly in suburban areas. Because they are intended for short trips, station cars often employ small, alternative fuel vehicles, such as battery powered electric cars. While there has been a significant increase in American car sharing programs, station car programs have been on the decline in the past few years. For more information on station cars, check out the website for the National Station Car Association or read this online review of CarLink. CarLink, a staion car pilot project in the San Francisco Bay Area, was transitioned to Flexcar and then closed down in 2003 due to economic reasons. To see an example of how one organization is integrating the idea of station cars within a larger car sharing program, check out how City CarShare locates some of their car sharing ‘depots’ at or near BART rail stations in the San Francisco Bay Area.