Zipcar Brings Car Sharing to DC Housing Authority

Mayor Gray Kicks off expansion of cost-efficient and environmentally friendly program

WASHINGTON--June 7, 2012: Mayor Vincent Gray, the DC Housing Authority (DCHA) and Zipcar today announced that Zipcar, the world's leading car sharing network, is expanding car sharing availability to DCHA public housing sites across the District to provide alternative transportation options for local residents.

As part of the new program, Zipcar will place nine new car-sharing vehicles at DCHA locations for use by local residents. Starting today, the new Zipcars can be found at the DCHA's Stoddert Terrace and Greenleaf Gardens sites and additional locations beginning July 1.

"We are committed to providing both affordable housing and transportation options for all D.C. residents. This partnership between DCHA and Zipcar will go a long way to meet the needs of our public housing residents and the community in these new locations," said Mayor Gray.

DCHA is one of the first housing authorities in the nation to partner with Zipcars in bringing affordable car sharing to public housing residents. "The lack of flexible transportation options can hinder our residents' efforts to become more self-sufficient, such as being able to reach a job interview for a company that is inaccessible by public transportation. Part of our role, as the District's largest landlord, includes making sure our tenants have access to convenient and cost-effective modes of transportation," said DCHA Executive Director Adrianne Todman. 

An alternative to car ownership, Zipcars can be reserved for as short as an hour or for several days. Gas, reserved parking spots, insurance, roadside assistance, and up to 180 miles of driving per day are included in the hourly and daily Zipcar rates, which start as low as $8 per hour and $74 per day in Washington D.C. National studies have shown that, depending on total distance driven, a car-sharing program can save members up to 70 percent of their total transportation costs.

"We are proud to demonstrate our commitment to community development by expanding the availability of car sharing to more residents. We already have a number of vehicles in the neighborhoods near these new locations and they are among some of our best performing cars," said Ellice Perez, general manager, Zipcar D.C. "We hope the addition of Zipcars at these public housing developments will benefit DCHA residents by providing access to wheels when they want them, whether they need to go to a doctor's appointment or run an errand."

DCHA provides affordable housing to 50,000 District residents and welcomes its partnership with Zipcar, the world's leading car sharing network.