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Zipcars now available for UB community
UB faculty, staff and students can now sign up for the Zipcar car-sharing service. Photo: COURTESY OF ZIPCAR
UB faculty, staff and students who need to rent a car can now obtain a vehicle through the Zipcar car-sharing service, an environmentally friendly alternative that supports UB’s Climate Action Plan and its efforts to improve campus sustainability.
The annual membership fee for members of the UB community at least 18 years of age is $35, and UB applicants receive $35 worth of free driving credit in their first month of driving. Click here to enroll in the Zipcar service.
Gas, 180 miles per day, insurance, reserved parking spots and roadside assistance are included in the hourly and daily Zipcar rates. Cars are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and can be reserved for as little as an hour or for up to four days. Rates on all UB vehicles start as low as $8 per hour and $66 per day (24 hours).
Three vehicles are located on the North Campus: one at the Student Union and two in the Fargo Lot at the Ellicott Complex. In addition, one vehicle is located at Goodyear Hall on the South Campus. Zipcar even offers an iPhone app that will honk the horn to locate a Zipcar and unlock the doors for members.
“After a very thorough analysis, we are excited to include a car-sharing service in our alternative transportation program, UB Carfree, that meets all the needs of our campus community,” says Maria Wallace, director of Parking and Transportation Services. “In addition, Zipcar supports UB’s commitment to reducing or offsetting our greenhouse gas emissions. This new offering will help us ease congestion and ultimately reduce the university’s carbon footprint.”
Zipcar, the world’s leading car-sharing service, has established partnerships with more than 200 universities, among them Syracuse University, SUNY Geneseo, SUNY Oswego, SUNY Purchase and the University of Rochester. Zipcar maintains a network of local vendors to service and clean its fleet.
Reader Comments
James Kistner says:
Why did the UB refuse to allow Buffalo Car Share the place at UB that they instead gave to ZipCar? The corporate culture that Simpson fostered directly ignored the student lead initiative taht is Buffalo Car Share. UB must become student friendly, and incubate the WNY startup with funding and contracts intended for the people of WNY. Etna, the insurance bidding 'winner' for mandatory enrollment is in Boston, could we not find a Buffalo company, at least in NY? But this corporate culture than may spell the end of Buffalo Car Share harms locals. UB is a NY state school, located in Buffalo and should act like it. Bye Bye Simpson Oh Ya !!!
Posted by James Kistner, Planning Grad Student, 08/31/10