Car-sharing is going to college.
Rhodes College just announced car-sharing service Zipcar will be on campus this fall.
For $35 a year, members can rent a Zipcar by the hour or the day, with $35 in free driving their first month of membership. Reservations are made on the internet or by cellphone, and in-car technology unlocks the car doors and reports the car’s location.
“We looked at it a few years ago when it was a fledgling operation, but at that time, users had to be 21 years old,” said Tracy Adkisson, the associate director of physical plant. “It wasn’t ideal then. Now they’ve changed the program to accommodate college and universities so that people 18 to 21 can join.”
The school hopes the service might help, in part, with parking issues on campus.
“It is an excellent way to conserve parking spaces and provides an alternative to those not requiring daily transportation,” John Blaisdell, Rhodes’ associate dean of students, said in a statement. “I believe the ease of use should make the program a success.”
Adkisson also cites sustainability and student service as reasons to have Zipcar on campus.
“One of the main reasons is to give students who don’t bring a car to campus a viable alternative and to give students an alternative to bringing a car to campus,” she said.
Rhodes is the third location in Tennessee for Zipcars. The others are Belmont and Vanderbilt universities in Nashville.
The school’s two Zipcars — one a hybrid — are scheduled to arrive Tuesday and will soon be available for pickup in the Briggs Student Center parking lot. For more info, click here.
