DePaul accelerates sustainability thrust with campus Zipcar program

January 17, 2013
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By Carol Hughes

The Zipcar car sharing program is now available on DePaul’s Lincoln Park Campus.

The transportation option is scheduled to be offered 24 hours a day, seven days a week to complement the urban lifestyle of students, faculty, and staff ages 18 and older, as well as members of the local community ages 21 and over.

This year, DePaul University members can join Zipcar for $15, with rates on Zipcar vehicles starting as low as $8 per hour and $73 per day. After the first year, the membership fee will be $25. Gas, insurance, reserved parking spots and up to 180 miles of driving per day are included in all Zipcar rates. Cars can be reserved for as little as an hour or for multiple days. DePaul students, faculty and staff can join Zipcar online.

Five vehicles on campus
“This program with Zipcar allows DePaul to provide another transportation option for our students, faculty and staff. It also aligns with our efforts to advance a sustainability agenda on campus and is a step to reduce our carbon footprint in the greater Chicago area,” said Robert Janis, vice president for facility operations.

The Zipcar-DePaul University program will initially offer five vehicles on the Lincoln Park campus, including Ford Focus, Honda Civic and Mazda 3 models. These cars will be located in a campus lot at 936 W. Fullerton, below the Fullerton CTA stop for Red/Brown/Purple Line trains. Additionally, dozens of Zipcars already surround DePaul’s Loop Campus through Zipcar’s program with the City of Chicago. Zipcars are available on-demand and can be easily reserved and accessed 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Participating members with smartphones, including iPhones and Android devices, may download the Zipcar mobile application to make reservations, lock and unlock the vehicles and honk the horn to help locate the vehicle. Members can also use Zipcar’s “Reserve a Zipcar” app on Facebook to view available Zipcars and make, extend or cancel reservations from their Facebook account. Reservations also can be made over the phone or on Zipcar’s website.

Students can drive and participate in grant program
Chicago General Manager, Charles Stephens, says of the relationship, “We are excited to bring Zipcar onto DePaul University’s campus to provide students, faculty and staff with a sustainable transportation option that provides fun and freedom, as well as environmental benefits for the campus. We hope Zipcar will help make it easier for students to get around the city, attend job interviews and internships, run errands like picking up groceries or even get away for the weekend. This new relationship with DePaul complements the strong car sharing program Zipcar offers throughout the city of Chicago.”

Students at DePaul and other Zipcar universities have the opportunity to participate in the “Students with Drive” grant program sponsored by Zipcar and Ford Motor Company. The program provides students with free Zipcar memberships and driving credit to support student organizations on campus. DePaul University organization FreeFall DePaul was a “Students with Drive” finalist in 2012.

Through the Students with Drive grant program, Ford and Zipcar will provide $300,000 in grants to be awarded to student organizations at eligible Zipcar colleges and universities. The program is running now through April 2013 and will culminate with one student organization being awarded a grand prize of $5,000 in Zipcar credit and $10,000 in cash for the student organization to put toward its cause and $10,000 in cash to be awarded to the winning school.

For more information and to participate in the program, students can visit the “Students with Drive” tab on Zipcar’s University Facebook page.