While students wait for the light-rail system to open, ASU Parking and Transit Services is offering another option by expanding its car-sharing program Zipcar to the Downtown Phoenix campus.
The service is ready in time for the fall semester after the Aug. 4 move of a Toyota Yaris from the Tempe campus fleet to University Center at the Downtown campus.
While Zipcar has been available to all ASU students, faculty and staff since its inception last year, the expansion of the program will make car sharing more accessible, especially to those traveling to downtown Phoenix.
Shereen Saurey, the communications coordinator for the Parking and Transit Services at ASU, said the department thought it necessary to expand Zipcar services downtown with the expansion of the Downtown campus.
“As the need for Zipcar builds, more cars will be added,” Saurey said.
Students who attend the West and Polytechnic campuses can access Zipcar vehicles by taking shuttles to Tempe and downtown Phoenix.
For $35 a year, in addition to hourly rates, customers can choose from a wide variety of vehicles ranging from Honda Civic hybrids to SUVs and pickup trucks.
“Looking at it from an environmental standpoint, Zipcar is very efficient because all of the vehicles are fuel efficient and low emission,” Saurey said. “ASU students and employees can enjoy the convenience of this program while helping to reduce the amount of gases emitted into the air by cars.”
The program was first introduced to ASU in September 2007 and was originally called Flexcar.
By January, Flexcar merged with a similar car sharing company called Zipcar and retained that name.
Saurey said Parking and Transit Services brought the car-sharing service to ASU because no other university or municipality had it yet.
“It’s also great for college students because it gives you the conveniences of owning a car but not the responsibilities such as paying for gas and maintenance,” she said.
Students can use Zipcar by going online and renting the car as early as the day of — and depending on availability, the vehicle will be reserved for the requested day and time needed.
A membership card is used for entry into the vehicle. Once inside the car, the keys and gas card are ready for use. Zipcar only asks that the customer bring the car back with a quarter-tank of gas, Saurey said.
Hourly rates include the cost of gas and maintenance, but some students find Zipcar a little costly.
Architecture freshman Amanda Manfred said the Zipcar service may have a tough time standing up to public transit options that are free for students with the University’s transit pass.
“It is competing with the Valley Metro and the light rail when it’s finished, which are both free [for ASU students],” she said.
The idea of having to reserve the car ahead of time was one drawback for business freshman Brent Meyer.
“College students don’t usually plan ahead,” he said.
Reach the reporter at allison.carlin@asu.edu.
