Bentley recently partnered with Zipcar, Inc., the world’s leading car-sharing network, to offer the transportation option to its community. The car-sharing option is now available for students, faculty, and staff ages 18 and older, as well as members of the local community ages 21 and over.
Initially, two Zipcars will be located in the Miller Hall Parking Deck on campus - a Ford Focus and a Toyota Prius. Zipcars are self-service and can be reserved and accessed at the member’s convenience.
“Bentley is excited to welcome Zipcar to campus. Commuting miles represent 16% of Bentley’s carbon footprint and Zipcar allows us to provide our community with an affordable alternative means of transportation,” noted Natalie Berland, manager of sustainability at Bentley. “For those who choose not to use a car to commute to school or work, Zipcar provides the quick availability of a vehicle for situations when a car is really needed, but with a low cost to both the driver and the environment.”
As part of the American Colleges and Universities Presidents’ Climate Commitment, Bentley is focused on cutting its carbon footprint in half by 2015 and by 70% by 2020. Encouraging use of the Bentley shuttle and biking to school or work are a few ways the university has begun to reduce its footprint from a commuting standpoint.
”Zipcar will give students who don’t have access to a car the freedom and flexibility to attend job interviews and participate in off-campus activities like internships,” said Michael Serafino, general manager for Zipcar University.
Participating Zipcar members with smartphones, including iPhones and Android devices, can 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 a reservation all from their Facebook account. Reservations can also be made over the phone or on Zipcar’s website.
Bentley members can join for a $25 annual membership fee, with rates for campus vehicles starting at $8.50 per hour or $69 per day. Gas, insurance, reserved parking spots, up to 180 miles of driving per day, and roadside assistance are included in the rates. Bentley students, faculty and staff can join and learn more at www.zipcar.com/bentley.
About Zipcar
Zipcar is the world's leading car-sharing network with more than 730,000 members and 11,000 vehicles located in major metropolitan areas and college campuses throughout the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Spain and Austria. Zipcar offers more than 30 makes and models of self-service vehicles by the hour or day to residents and businesses looking for an alternative to the high costs and hassles of owning a car. More information is available at www.zipcar.com. Photos and b-roll footage are available for media purposes at www.zipcar.mediaroom.com. Zipcar and the Zipcar logo are trademarks of Zipcar, Inc.