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Aug. 19, 2003
GW Hitches a Ride with Zipcar
Deal Offers New Transportation Options for GW Community
This summer GW and Zipcar, the on-demand car company,
inked an agreement to make it easier and cheaper for members of the GW
and Foggy Bottom communities to get around town. Zipcar recently agreed
to provide students, faculty, staff and local residents memberships, designed
to encourage the use of Zipcars, rather than privately owned automobiles.
As a part of the deal, a MINI Cooper and a Toyota Prius gas/electric hybrid
are parked on the GW campus. The two new vehicles bring Zipcar’s
total to more than 40 vehicles throughout DC in a wide variety of models
and sizes including Beetles, Beetle convertibles, Focus wagons and Honda
Elements. For as little as one hour or as long as several days, residents
in Boston, New York and Washington can use the more than 200 Zipcars,
revolutionizing the way in which urban drivers view automobile transportation.
“Utilizing Zipcars is a win-win situation for GW, as well as for
residents in the Foggy Bottom community,” said Gary Reynolds, GW
program manager for Institutional Auxiliary Services, who helped develop
the program. “The University has always encouraged the use of public
transportation, and now we can provide a new option for students, faculty
and staff, which will enhance the quality of life in Foggy Bottom. We
chose Zipcar because of its successful programs with other urban universities,
its technology and its advanced Web-based reservation system.”
Reynolds explained there were approximately 50 GW students and staff who
were already Zipcar members before the partnership, and another 16,000
people would be eligible to join under the new program. Zipcar members
must be at least 21 years old and meet Zipcar’s safe-driver criteria.
District members pay an hourly rate averaging $8.50, while Zipcar pays
for reserved parking, mileage, maintenance, insurance and even gas.
“There are four primary reasons why I’m a Zipcar member,”
said GW senior Brian Kirrane. “It’s very convenient since there
is a Zipcar within a quick walk from my apartment. I can make reservations
online in about 30 seconds and I’m off to wherever I want to go,
quickly. It’s also hassle-free because when I return, there’s
no circling the block looking for a space. I just pull right into Zipcar’s
reserved spot. Then there’s cost. Since I only need a car a few hours
a month, it’s much cheaper than owning one and that’s important
given my financial status. I also know that Zipcar is helping to take
cars off the road, which means less air, noise and traffic pollution. That’s
important to me.”
Send feedback to: bygeorge@gwu.edu
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Related Link
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