Zipcar adds 7th car to IU for shared use

March 18--If Kent McDaniel meets his goal, incoming Indiana University students and their parents will have a different mindset after asking: Can students have a car on campus?

McDaniel, IU transportation liaison and demand manager, focuses on promoting alternative means of transportation on and around campus. One way is through Zipcar, a car-sharing service, which added its seventh car on campus last week.

"This fills that goal," McDaniel said. "It helps to convince students and their parents that they don't need a car ... and there is less traffic."

Zipcar is membership-based car sharing and vehicles can be reserved 24 hours a day. The company introduced four cars to IU's campus in 2010 and has since added three more cars.

From the university side, IU just supplies the parking spot, McDaniel said.

Zipcar covers gas and insurance up to 180 miles per day as well as roadside assistance and maintenance, said Katelyn Lopresti, general manager for Zipcar University.

"It helps ease the demand for parking and lowers the carbon footprint," she said.

The idea is short-term use to eliminate the need for a car or for a family to have two cars, McDaniel said. He said people who share cars are typically more efficient with their driving because they plan trips more.

"Studies have proven that for every shared car established in a community, the total number of cars in the community is reduced by about 15 cars," McDaniel said. He said using that study, the IU campus has reduced more than 100 cars.

Although Lopresti said the company doesn't release membership numbers by city, she said demand in Bloomington is growing, judged by utilization and reservation rates.

"IU is strong for membership," she said.

The cars are located in three areas on campus: off of Seventh Street across from Ernie Pyle Hall along Seventh Street, near 13th Street and Fee Lane, and near Seventh Street and Rose Avenue -- where the new car, a Ford Focus hatchback, will be.

The Ford Focus is one of the most popular choices, Lopresti said. But she said the cars vary, providing a mix of sizes from the Ford Focus to a Honda CRV-AWD. She said the one Nissan Sentra will soon be replaced with a Volkswagen Jetta.

Lopresti said members can use Zipcars in any location, so they can continue membership after graduation.

"We have 850,000 members globally," she said.

About Zipcar

For Indiana University faculty, staff and students, membership is $25 a year and new members receive a $35 driving credit. Members must be at least 18 years old.

Community members must be 21 or older and pay an application fee of $25 and then can choose from a $60 annual membership or a $6 monthly fee.

The Ford Focus rental is $7.50 per hour and all other vehicles are $8.50 per hour.

Learn more or sign up at www.zipcar.com/iub.

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