More Zipcars Cruising to VCU

By Shay Kazi

Virginia Commonwealth University has increased the number of Zipcars on the Monroe Park Campus from four to six to meet growing demand.

“Virginia Commonwealth University has shown to be a community that truly embraces car sharing and has made great use of Zipcar as a convenient and environmentally friendly alternative to car ownership,” said CJ Himberg, communications and social media coordinator at Zipcar.

Zipcars are environmentally friendly cars that can be rented by students and staff starting at $7.50 per hour and $69 per day. They are strategically placed around campus to honor the company’s promise of “wheels when you want them,” aiming to make it easy and accessible to use the cars. Membership comes with a “Zipcard” that makes it possible to make reservations 24 hours a day and to unlock cars.

Zipcars can be particularly beneficial on urban campuses such as VCU. These cars provide easy and accessible transportation for students who may need to run errands or get to an appointment on time. Zipcars also help students save money by not having to make car or insurance payments. The car already includes gas and insurance and the opportunity to drive up to 180 miles per day.

“Having a Zipcar program on campus provides students without cars new levels of freedom,” said Himberg.

Other benefits include the “Students with Drive” program, which gives students a chance to enter to win free Zipcar memberships and credits. Every month five organizations from categories such as academics, art, athletics, student life and community service are chosen to each receive $5,500 in Zipcar credits. Zipcar also has partnered with Ford to honor 10 runner-ups each month from organizations at VCU with $1,000 in Zipcar credits.

According to Himberg, adding more Zipcars gives students and staff more opportunities to avoid paying to park in the decks or on the street. Each car meets the needs of 40 to 60 people, decreasing campus traffic and pollution.


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