Car-sharing program Zipcar

[cyberswede]

This looks pretty cool, and the article mentions that users reduce their mileage per trip by 40% (to be more cost-effective). This article is specific to one college town, but the concept is interesting.

Zipcar zips into Iowa City: Car-sharing program coming to campus, downtown this fall

It’s not exactly New York, but owning, insuring, parking, fueling, and maintaining a car can get pricey in Iowa City, especially if you’re an undergraduate student trying to pay for tuition, books, food, and other essentials.

Until now, there were few alternatives for reaching places too far to walk or bike. You could hire a taxi, which is fine for short distances but also pricey. You could take a bus, so long as your destination is along one of the designated routes. Or you could buy or rent a moped, which is great in good weather but impractical in rain or snow.

Starting this fall, students, faculty, staff, and members of the Iowa City community will have another option: a car-sharing program run by a company called Zipcar.

The University of Iowa and Iowa City have identified 10 designated parking places around campus and downtown where registered Zipcar members can find vehicles waiting and ready to go.

http://now.uiowa.edu/2012/08/zipcar-zips-iowa-city

[Bluenorthwest]

1. We have two car share companies in our market now, both with a small amount of autos

people like them and use them...

[unc70]

2. We have Zipcar in Chapel Hill. Also free buses

For the past ten years the bus system in Chapel Hill has been fare free! We appear to be the largest fare-free transi system in the world (as far as I can determine). Enormous ridership.

Since so many people commute using buses, Zipcar seems to make sense. I have not seen recent data on their use, but the seem to fill an obvious niche.

[marmar]

3. Zipcar has been in Ann Arbor for years ..........

Kind of pricey.