Tufts and Zipcar, a sustainability-oriented car rental service,have joined forces to bring fuel- and cost-efficient cars to boththe Medford and Boston campuses.
The use of Zipcars on campus will reduce Tufts' total greenhousegas emissions, seven percent of which comes from car exhaust,according to Sarah Creighton, Program Manager for Tufts ClimateInitiative.
Tufts administrators also cooperated to reduce the annual Zipcarmembership price to $20 for Tufts students. The usual fee is$175.
Director of Safety John King underwrote the deposit and anydamage to cars and Vice President of Operations John Roberto helpedmake parking spaces available.
After reserving a car via phone or Internet, students simply usetheir membership card to access to the car via a card reader. Usersmust pay an hourly rate of $8.50 or a $65 daily charge.
"It's a great deal for students since Zipcar covers parking andinsurance in all its rates, whether you bought the occasionaldriver plan or extra value plan - the two most commonly used bystudents," Vice President of Marketing at Zipcar Matt Molloysaid.
Tufts worked with Mark Chase (LA '97), head of Zipcar'smarketing department, to sublease two fuel-efficient cars: a ToyotaPrius and an electric vehicle.
The electric vehicle is available behind West Hall, the Priusbehind the Blakeley dorms at Fletcher. Another electric vehicle islocated in Boston for Dental or Medical School students.
The deal was set in motion when President Bacow pledged in May2003 that Tufts would help achieve the climate-change goals set bythe governors of New England and the eastern Canadianprovinces.
The Tufts Climate Initiative was established with this goal inmind and began working with Zipcar's Boston division in August 2003to make transportation more convenient for students and help reducethe number of cars on campus.
So far, about 180 to 200 upperclassmen and faculty have beenused Zipcars at Tufts. Zipcar members must be 21 years of age orover to rent the cars.
Students have used the service to drive to jobs, go away for theweekend, or even conduct field research for classes.
"I hope it gives people an opportunity to think carefully abouttheir transportation needs - it's a very cost-efficient solution togetting a car," Creighton said.
Zipcar has brought its services to 18 other universities inBoston, New York, and Washington, D.C., although Tufts is the onlyschool to have fuel-efficient cars.
"Zipcar provides 21-year-olds and older [drivers] freedom thatthey don't usually have at their universities, so I think it's agreat win for both parties," Molloy said.
Not all students find Zipcars to be that much of an addedconvenience.
"I have my own car on campus, and I think I would still ratheruse that ... it's just more convenient when it's your own andbesides, I don't really drive that much anyway when I'm at school,"senior Agnes Chan said.
"I think it's cool that they have cars that are fuel-efficient.But you know what? Maybe not having an added car system wouldencourage people to T it even more," freshman Zachary Sun said.
