Zipcars Come To William And Mary

Friday, September 03, 2010

One of the college's Zipcars. Photo by Suzanne Seurattan.

The William and Mary Zipcar fleet will be parked around campus and will be self-serve. Customers register with the service and take a Zipcard to the vehicle, hold it up to the windshield to unlock the car, and drive away.

Zipcar services offer an affordable alternative to traditional rental cars and are considered an eco-friendly mode of transportation. The company estimates that in 2008, people using their car-sharing service saved over 215,000 tons of carbon emissions. Each Zipcar used takes 15 to 20 cars off the road, according to the Zipcar website, and members generally drive only 5,500 miles or less per year.

The company has become popular on college campuses, with more than 100 colleges now signed up for the program. There are over 6,500 Zipcars in 28 states and provinces in North America and England.

"We are anticipating Zipcar to be well received by our campus community especially our freshmen and sophomores who are not permitted to bring their own cars from home. This provides a transportation option that is both needed and environmentally sensitive," said Carolyn K. Davis, director of auxiliary services at William & Mary.

"Cost-savings, convenience, reduced demand for parking and less congestion on campus are just some of the benefits that we are confident the William & Mary community will experience," said Matthew Malloy, vice president of global university operations at Zipcar. "Since every Zipcar takes approximately 15 to 20 privately owned vehicles off the road, the University will also be able to reduce its overall carbon footprint and impact on the environment."

Zipcar says its members save more than $500 a year compared to traditional car ownership.

The company’s goal is to replace personally-owned vehicles. “Imagine a world with one million fewer cars on the road,” their website reads. “We do. Every day we are working towards a place with less dependence on personally-owned vehicles. Why? Because it matters.

“Less cars on the road means less congestion, less pollution, less dependence on oil, and cleaner, fresher air to breathe. Some folks don't believe it's possible for car sharing to have such a huge impact.”