Spring Break
Zipcars bought by University are ready for use
by Mike Prada
Editor in Chief
News | 9/16/08
Posted online at 3:52 AM EST on 9/16/08
Two cars the University acquired in a partnership with Zipcar, a worldwide car-sharing service that allows people to rent cars at an hourly rate, are ready for use for any Brandeis student, faculty or staff member, Vice President of Campus Operations Mark Collins wrote in a campuswide e-mail last Friday.
"Beginning Monday September 15, two self-service Zipcars-a Toyota Matrix and a Honda CR-V-are available for use 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The cars are located at the Stoneman Public Safety/Campus Police Building Parking Lot," Collins wrote in the e-mail.
Sustainability Coordinator Janna Cohen-Rosenthal '03 said the University originally hoped that one of the cars would be a Toyota Prius, a hybrid vehicle that would be cheaper for people to rent and would save more energy on campus, but said those are currently on "extreme backorder." The Prius would have been rented instead of the Matrix, Assistant Director of Procurement Services Edward Perkins said.
Any student, faculty member or staffer on campus hoping to rent the cars must first join Zipcar for $35, Collins wrote. The hourly rate for renting the Toyota Matrix will be $8.25, while the rate for the CR-V will be $8.50, Cohen-Rosenthal said. Members will receive a $35 credit toward their first rental, so they will not have to pay the rental fee the first time.
The higher cost for renting the CR-Vs is to account for its higher cost of gas in that car, Cohen-Rosenthal said.
Any student, faculty and staff member may also rent one of the cars for a 24-hour period for a flat rate of $65, according to a University press release. The rental price includes the cost of gas; users must fill the tank if it is less than 1/4 full using a gas card provided by Zipcar, Cohen-Rosenthal said.
Cohen-Rosenthal said she hopes the Zipcars will decrease traffic on campus and provide a cost-effective means of transportation for students. She said that "car-sharing has been shown to reduce personal car use and cars on the road," and that the partnership will make people "really think about the expenses of using a car all the time." She said students, faculty and staff could use the cars to buy groceries, go to their off-campus jobs, run other errands and go on day-long trips.
"Beginning Monday September 15, two self-service Zipcars-a Toyota Matrix and a Honda CR-V-are available for use 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The cars are located at the Stoneman Public Safety/Campus Police Building Parking Lot," Collins wrote in the e-mail.
Sustainability Coordinator Janna Cohen-Rosenthal '03 said the University originally hoped that one of the cars would be a Toyota Prius, a hybrid vehicle that would be cheaper for people to rent and would save more energy on campus, but said those are currently on "extreme backorder." The Prius would have been rented instead of the Matrix, Assistant Director of Procurement Services Edward Perkins said.
Any student, faculty member or staffer on campus hoping to rent the cars must first join Zipcar for $35, Collins wrote. The hourly rate for renting the Toyota Matrix will be $8.25, while the rate for the CR-V will be $8.50, Cohen-Rosenthal said. Members will receive a $35 credit toward their first rental, so they will not have to pay the rental fee the first time.
The higher cost for renting the CR-Vs is to account for its higher cost of gas in that car, Cohen-Rosenthal said.
Any student, faculty and staff member may also rent one of the cars for a 24-hour period for a flat rate of $65, according to a University press release. The rental price includes the cost of gas; users must fill the tank if it is less than 1/4 full using a gas card provided by Zipcar, Cohen-Rosenthal said.
Cohen-Rosenthal said she hopes the Zipcars will decrease traffic on campus and provide a cost-effective means of transportation for students. She said that "car-sharing has been shown to reduce personal car use and cars on the road," and that the partnership will make people "really think about the expenses of using a car all the time." She said students, faculty and staff could use the cars to buy groceries, go to their off-campus jobs, run other errands and go on day-long trips.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Dani B.
posted 9/16/08 @ 9:38 AM EST
I'd encourage everyone to go sign up and give zipcar a try. You can sign up at http://www.zipcar.com/brandeis
Dani B.
posted 9/17/08 @ 11:33 AM EST
Also I'd like to take a moment to clarify the headline. Brandeis didn't buy any zipcars. Zipcar owns the vehicles. The university guarantees Zipcar a certain amount of revenue and agrees to make up any shortfall. (Continued…)
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