U-M promotes car sharing - Ann Arbor News
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
U-M promotes car sharing
Officials hope service will reduce campus traffic and congestion
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
BY DAVE GERSHMAN
News Staff Reporter
The University of Michigan wants to bring car sharing to campus in time for next fall, hoping to sign a deal with a national company like Zipcar, Inc.
Details are still up in the air, but the idea is to make car sharing, a trend on some campuses and major cities, another transportation option for professors, staff and students 21 and older.
Companies like Zipcar rent cars by the hour to members, who make arrangements over the Internet and use a credit card-like key to pick up the car from a designated parking lot. Gas is covered by the company and drivers don't need their own basic insurance. When they're done, they leave the car in the same spot they found it.
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"What we're thinking of right now is to start small and have six vehicles on campus, two on North Campus, two on Central Campus and two on the medical campus,'' said Dave Miller, executive director for parking and transportation services.
U-M has issued a request-for-proposals and bids are due later this month. U-M officials have talked to representatives of Zipcar, Inc. The company, based in Cambridge, Mass., declined comment on U-M's plans.
Car sharing would be attractive to people who'd rather not drive to campus, Miller said, but feel they need to drive because they might need quick access to car - such as the staff member who has to dash across the city for a lunchtime meeting. Some students bring cars to Ann Arbor but only use them to get away on weekends, he said.
Car sharing would take some vehicles off the city's roadways, Miller said. The service is part of U-M's attempt to discourage students from bringing cars to campus and to encourage more employees to commute by bus or carpool, he said.
Sarah Hines is a graduate student who's excited by the idea. She had a car "on and off'' during the past academic year. She shared it with her brother in Chicago. She usually rode her bike to get around Ann Arbor, but there are times when a car would have been useful to pick up lots of groceries or pick up friends at the airport.
"So many people I know of here have cars,'' she said, "but it's mostly for the occasional convenience factor.''
Depending on responses to the RFP, members of the general public might be able to use the car sharing service, Miller said.
While a car sharing service could operate without going through the university, this way U-M will provide dedicated spaces for the cars on campus and it's willing to guarantee a minimum amount of revenue for the company during a start-up period, said Miller.
"Our intention is that after a period of time, four or six months, they'll reach a revenue threshold where (the service) is sustainable. But we're willing to step up and bridge that gap between their minimum revenue requirement and the revenue they will generate from usage,'' Miller said.
Companies like Zipcar and Flexcar, another national company, require users to pay membership fees and rental fees.
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