The University of Wisconsin will soon have a car-sharing program where UW staff and faculty can use a community car to drive off campus for virtually any reason.
The Community Car organization, a Madison-based company, makes a fleet of efficient cars available at a central location for people to use for personal reasons. Community Car will soon put a car in the Helen C. White parking garage and begin operations Monday, March 1.
The point of having a car-sharing program on campus is to allow for faculty and staff to drive to appointments or run errands in the middle of the day. This way, if people are part of a carpool or live on a bus route, they will not need to be dependent on other drivers or schedules for transport.
Jay Ferm, president of the company, commented that car sharing would help the “fairly tight parking situation” on campus.
UW Transportation Services are giving limited numbers of free trials to UW faculty and staff, good for five free hours and 50 free miles at information sessions starting today from 5-6 p.m. at Memorial Union.
Those who don’t take advantage of the free trial can join for $15 a month with an hourly and per mile charge, or a $9 an hour charge for people who do not wish to pay the monthly charge. All who want to take advantage of Community Car’s services must have five years of driving experience.
Though this campaign is focused at faculty and staff, Ferm said, “students are welcome to join.”
Community Car is just one part of the UW Transportation Services effort to minimize parking problems on campus and reduce car pollution. Other alternative transportation opportunities at UW are the free bus passes, free taxi service at night and encouraging employees and students to bike around and to campus.
“Along with the free bus pass and other transportation options, car sharing gives university employees more freedom to use alternative transportation, but still have a car with which to run errands,” UW Transportation Services Director Lance Lunsway said in a UW release. “And with Community Car, several people can use one stall, so the need for more parking lots is reduced.” For additional questions, contact Amanda White at (608) 204-0000 or [email protected].
