Zipcars are coming to UVa!

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Virginia
1

<p>I don't normally start threads, but I thought this was exciting enough news to create one. Zipcars are coming to UVa! UVa community members only have to be 18 to use them. </p>

<p>From The Daily Progress:

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Zipcars are coming to the University of Virginia.
By The Daily Progress Staff
Published: November 10, 2009</p>

<p>The national car-sharing company and UVa today announced plans to offer Zipcar service on Grounds beginning Nov. 17.</p>

<p>The UVa effort will feature six self-service Zipcars, including Honda Insights and Civics, which are available around the clock to UVa faculty, staff and students aged 18 and older. Those eligible can join Zipcar for a $35 annual fee and drive the cars for $8 per hour or $66 per day on weekdays (different rates for weekends). The rates include gas, roadside assistance and limited miles.</p>

<p>The university bills the Zipcar program as part of its interest in alternative transportation, reduction of cars on campus and overall sustainability.</p>

<p>Charlottesville residents at least 21 years old will be able to join for $75. Membership includes access to Zipcars in other cities across the country, where available.

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<p>That’s awesome! Unfortunately, since I’m young, if I come to UVA I won’t be able to use the cars until my second semester ): But anyways, that’s a great idea and pretty cheap - and environmentally friendly!</p>

3

<p>Happily D will be able to use the cars right now! This is wonderful, particularly for first years.</p>

4

<p>

You will have so many events and activities to attend right on Grounds as a first year that you probably won’t be missing the car too much. :)</p>

5

<p>Very true, Dean J, but zipcars will be very handy for those runs to Target!</p>

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<p>And you have to be licensed for at least a year :)</p>

7

<p>With only 6 cars, I wonder about the availability of them… Trolleys that run every half hour are so packed and tied up around rush hour and there are so many of them… 6 does not seem like a workable number imho.</p>

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<p>

I lived in a city with Zipcars and had about four in the immediate vicinity (and another four were about one T stop away). They honestly stayed parked during the week. My sense was that people used them on the weekends for runs to places like Target, Ikea, etc. They weren’t really for little errands. People used public transit for going to the supermarket and pharmacy.</p>

<p>I imagine it will be hard to reserve one for the first few weeks they’re here, but the novelty will wear off and the expense will set in eventually. </p>

<p>Who knows, though. If they wind up being a hit, maybe the Zipcar people will place a few more here.</p>

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<p>What if people who use these zipcars for a week and came back with lots of clutter in the car? I would think that these cars would smell and get dirty after a while.</p>

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<p>When I lived where there were Zipcars, the company had employees who took care of maintenance and cleaning. They are like rental cars.</p>

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<p>They have Zipcars in Northern VA and many people use them for business/work related purposes as well as just a quick rental car for other occasions and events. I still think $66 a day may be a bit high, especially for a college student, but $8 an hour seems pretty reasonable for someone who may only need a car for an hour or two to run some errands.</p>

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<p>Resurrecting an old thread here. My son was recently accepted to UVa and I was wondering how the Zipcars have worked out for the past couple of years. In particular, are there enough on grounds (being an alum myself, I know better than to say campus) to meet the demand?</p>