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UB to offer Zipcar car sharing
Zipcars will be available for use by faculty, staff and students by the hour or by the day. Photo: COURTESY OF ZIPCAR
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“We hope many will choose not to bring a vehicle to campus.”
UB faculty, staff and students in need of a car for an hour or a day will be able to use the Zipcar car-sharing service, beginning in August.
The Zipcar service, which will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, supports UB’s commitment to sustainability by reducing the need for individual cars, lowering demand for on-campus parking and alleviating traffic congestion. Fundamentally, it is a sustainable transportation alternative that will reduce UB’s carbon footprint.
The hourly and daily rates to rent a Zipcar include gas, 180 free miles per day, insurance, reserved parking spots on both UB North and South campuses, and roadside assistance. Cars will be located in convenient spaces in high-demand areas on the campuses.
Faculty, staff and students age 18 and older will be able to join Zipcar for a $35 annual sign-up fee and drive for as little as $8 an hour. The sign-up fee entitles users to $35 worth of free driving credits as part of the launch promotion, which can be applied toward the first month of driving. Free annual membership will be offered to orientation aides and resident advisors.
“The idea of bringing car sharing to campus has been looked at for more than three years,” says Barbara J. Ricotta, associate vice president for campus life. “After extensive analysis, we decided to pursue car sharing through Zipcar because it combined the benefits of supporting UB’s green initiative, part of UB 2020, as well as the needs of UB students and the local community. Every Zipcar can take 15 to 20 privately owned cars off the road. That can go a long way toward reducing congestion and parking demands.“
The car-sharing concept is active on hundreds of college campuses nationwide. Zipcar partners with more than 150 universities, among them Syracuse University, SUNY-Geneseo, SUNY-Oswego, SUNY-Purchase and the University of Rochester. Zipcar uses a network of local vendors to service and clean its fleet.
“We will market this cost-effective and green alternative widely to incoming students and their parents, as well as the university at large. We hope many will choose not to bring a vehicle to campus,” says Maria Wallace, director of parking and transportation services. “Zipcar’s nation-wide college experience, their years of operation, fleet of vehicles and insurance-coverage provisions made Zipcar the clear choice for our car-sharing vendor.”
More details about UB’s Zipcar service will be released in August, along with the Web address to sign up for membership. For more information, click here.
Reader Comments
Adam Blair says:
Dear Friends and Supporters,
As you may know, we recently lost a bid to become the University at Buffalo’s exclusive car sharing provider. Throughout the process, many of you leant us your kind words and stuck up for the values that we think CarShare represents. Many of you expressed what we couldn’t, and let UB know the importance of supporting the local economy. For that, we are incredibly grateful and honored by your praise.
...
Follow this link to read more: http://bit.ly/c3NrWD
Posted by Adam Blair, UB Alum and Buffalo CarShare Co-founder, 04/30/10
mary galuski says:
It would be nice if UB would offer more parking to students. I already have a car. I dont need to borrow one. BUT wouldnt it be more green if I didn't have to drive around parking lots for an hour looking for a parking space? THAT would be GREEN
And as far as those carpool permits go... is it really realistic that students who know each other are going to have the same schedules? Honestly, it's not!! The only people who are getting the carpool permits are students who have a friend that lives off campus (Flint, Sweethome Village etc) and don't need their pass so they turn it in and help their friend get a carpool pass. DUH
All of these ideas are stupid when we SO clearly need more parking spaces.
Posted by mary galuski, mary galuski, 04/29/10
Kyle Smith says:
UB OWES the public an explanation as to why Buffalo CarShare was not chosen. Hard working graduate students, with the assistance of a gvt. grant founded Buffalo CarShare and deserve a shot at this. Who cares if they don't have all the resources that Zipcar has? Sometimes doing the right thing isn't always what looks best on paper. UB, you continue to disappoint me in your judgement.
Posted by Kyle Smith, Kyle Smith, 04/29/10
Steve Glamcevski says:
I really think that UB missed on this one. UB had the opportunity to help out a local Buffalo-based business (Buffalo Car Share) that was started by UB alumni and it passed only to go with a larger company which started in San Francisco. This is really disheartening. As a UB alum who is currently in graduate school at UB, I sure hope that my career paths do not hinge on the approval of UB, because apparently they are not supportive of their almuni.
Posted by Steve Glamcevski, UB Graduate Student, 04/29/10
Jordan Dalton says:
Why did UB not go with Buffalo CarShare, a comparable local company founded by UB alumni?
Posted by Jordan Dalton, Graduate Student, 04/29/10