Tuesday, June 4, 2013

ZipCars Provide LMU Community with Transportation Alternative

zipcarNo car? No problem, as more and more LMU students are finding out.

From the cost of gas to the growing desire for sustainability, more students have discovered that bringing their own car to campus isn’t the best choice for them. That’s where ZipCar, a car-sharing service available at LMU, comes into play.

“College students do not necessarily need access to a car all of the time,” said Carolyn French, assistant director of Campus Recreation at LMU and coordinator of the ZipCar program. “ZipCar allows them to have one when they need it.”

The service is simple. Eligible students (at least 18 years old with a clean driving record for at least a year) can go online to sign up and reserve one of the eight available cars on campus for any day of the week, any time of day. ZipCar charges hourly or daily rates.

The program provides various benefits. Users don’t have to pay for LMU campus parking, or for gas, insurance or maintenance, since ZipCar covers those costs. There’s also no search for somewhere to park, because there are reserved spaces near Rosecrans Hall.

“The number one benefit of the ZipCar program is its flexibility, in that the students have the freedom to go wherever they want, whenever they want for a pretty minimal fee,” French said. “Students can leave campus at their leisure without the large expense and hassle that comes from bringing their own car.”

Zach Soliz, a sophomore business major from Dallas, takes advantage of the ZipCar service instead of bringing a car from home. As a full-time student who lives on campus, he figured he didn’t need a car that often. But as an aspiring actor, Soliz uses ZipCar when he needs to drive to and from auditions around Los Angeles. 

“ZipCar was perfect for me,” Soliz said.  “I was able to reserve a ZipCar with no problems, whether it was for an audition or to explore the city.”

The program isn’t just for students, though. Anyone in the area who is a ZipCar member can use the cars at LMU just like any other available ZipCar.

For more information on the ZipCar program at LMU, click here.


View the original article here

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