Goucher Partners With Zipcar

Release date: September 02, 2008 |

Goucher College has launched a new partnership with Zipcar, a cost-efficient, environmentally friendly car-sharing program.

Goucher students who are older than 18 and have a valid driver’s license, as well as the college’s faculty and staff, will have 24/7 self-service access to two Honda Civic Hybrids that are located in the Dorsey Center parking lot. Participants apply for Zipcar membership online, and the $35 application fee then counts as a credit.

Cars can be rented for an hour, up to three days. The hourly rate is just $7, or $60 for a full day, and includes gas, maintenance, insurance, reserved parking, and roadside assistance. 

Participants can make reservations months or minutes in advance by going online or using an automated phone system. Members get their own Zipcard, which they simply hold up to the car’s windshield to unlock the doors and drive away.

“Environmental sustainability is a critical component of Goucher’s Strategic Plan, and this partnership with Zipcar expands the alternative modes of transportation our campus community can use to help reduce the amount of pollutants that enter the atmosphere and compromise our planet’s long-term health,” said Sanford J. Ungar, president of Goucher College.

Goucher’s partnership with Zipcar marks another important stride the college is making to ensure that environmental sustainability and stewardship are a priority on campus. This semester, Goucher also launched a free community bicycle program that allows students, faculty, and staff to use a fleet of 10 bikes for transportation and recreation on and off campus. These alternative transportation initiatives complement the college’s extensive recycling, composting, sustainable food service, and energy conservation programs.

For students who cannot or do not want to bring a car to school, Zipcar provides the freedom to travel off campus to attend interviews, run errands, or take a weekend trip. The program also eliminates hundreds of dollars in monthly transportation costs, saving members an average of $600/month or $7,200/year when compared with car ownership.

Those interested in learning more about Zipcar at Goucher can visit www.zipcar.com/goucher for more information about membership and hourly rates.